Messingham man completes Great North Run to thank Lindsey Lodge Hospice which cared for his late wife
North Lincolnshire fundraisers laced up their running shoes to take part in the Great North Run alongside some of the world's best athletes.
Over 50,000 runners took to the start line of the 13.1 mile race on Sunday, September 16, which was started by Mo Farah and several other Team GB Olympians.
A team of 70 running to help raise funds for Lindsey Lodge Hospice showed Olympic courage and spirit as they took to the streets of Newcastle.
Among them was Gary Horner, 40, from Messingham, running in memory of his late wife Debra, who died on September 15, 2011, having spent time at Lindsey Lodge.
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He said: "In my personal experience, the nurses and staff at Lindsey Lodge were absolutely fantastic, so I wanted to give something back for all they did for me and Debra.
"They really do a great job."
Since his wife died, Gary has taken part in the Leeds half-marathon, the Lincoln 10k, a coast-to-coast bike ride, raising around £3,000 in the process, and will take part in the Three Peaks challenge in October.
Also taking to the start line were Philip Maw, 50, and his 18- year-old daughter Tori, who had never run more than six-and-a-half miles.
Coming home in a time of 1 hour 59 minutes, the pair crossed the finish line together.
"At the start of the year, with me turning 50 and my daughter turning 18, we thought, why not do the Great North Run for Lindsey Lodge," he said.
"Towards the end, coming in to South Shields, there are some tricky hills, but we managed to cross the line together and raise about £1,700."
Elizabeth Pearson, 32, from Scunthorpe ran the race in memory of her aunt, Elaine Stamp.
The hospice cared for her before she died of lung cancer three years ago.
Elizabeth came home in a time of 1 hour 50 minutes.
"It was a really good day, I really enjoyed it," she said.
"Thinking of all the money that I have raised inspired me to keep going."
Scott Worboys, from Cadney, who lost his kidney to cancer in 2010, ran the race for Kidney Cancer UK.
He completed the 13.1 mile distance in 2 hours 30 minutes, his second best time over the distance.
He said: "It was an unbelievable experience.
"I reached mile nine and I felt as though someone was stabbing me in the leg but the support from the crowd was amazing.
"People had turned their gardens in to water stations and little kids were by the roadside handing out biscuits and jelly babies.
"I managed to run all the way round, as I would have felt a failure if I'd stopped."
His current total raised stands at £1,123.
Steve Barker and Paul Webster also completed the 13.1-mile challenge in aid of Diabetes UK.
Steve and Paul finished in a time of 1 hour 49 minutes and 1 hour 54 minutes respectively, raising more than £700 for the charity.
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