Team Lindsey Lodge clock up £10k and super times at Great North Run

They were all running to support the Lindsey Lodge Hospice.

Mark Morris, 40, completed the run in 1 hour 29 minutes and came 745th out of the 57,000 participants.

He’s raised £2,100 for the hospice as part of a series of runs and his next one is the Mablethorpe Marathon in October.

“I’m raising as much money as I can for Lindsey Lodge after the wonderful care they gave my mum in May who passed away from cancer,” he said.

“That’s what kept me going during the Great North Run.

“It’s my fourth time and I absolutely love it with the red arrows going over your head and running over the bridge.

“It was very hot and there were so many people which slowed me down.

“I’ll definitely be doing it next year along with the London Marathon.”

Another of the Lindsey Lodge runners, Ryan Morris from Scunthorpe, came in 75th - just 15 minutes behind winner and professional athlete Mo Farah.

“It was my first time at the Great North Run,” said the 23-year-old.

“It was something I’ve always wanted to do- the atmosphere and crowd cheering you on was amazing!

“I ran it in 1 hour 15 minutes which is my personal best by three minutes.

“I even got to meet Mo Farrah at the start.

“I’ve always been into running, I’m part of Scunthorpe Running Club, and for the last couple of years I’ve been training hard by doing track and speed work.”

Husband and wife team Julie and Terry Cole had a totally different experience and struggled throughout the 13.1 mile course due to injuries and the extreme heat.

Julie, who is a facilities officer at the hospice, said: “I was in pain before I started and I had to take painkillers halfway.

“It was far too hot as well and I felt like giving up but then I thought about why I’m doing it and it kept me going.

“My husband had pushed his body to exhaustion as afterwards he was grey and was violently sick. But he hadn’t trained as much as me and he did extremely well pushing through with his determination.”

The hospice cares for 150 local people every single week with end of life illnesses.

It has to raise 79% of its funds to run the vital service which gives all-round care to local people with cancer, neurological conditions, heart failure and respiratory problems.

Sharon Tune, challenges co-ordinator at the Hospice said: “We’re so proud of everyone completing the gruelling run and raising a mammoth amount for the hospice which will go directly to patient care.

“It takes a lot of hard-work and dedication to train for an event like this and we can’t thank everyone enough for putting the time, effort and fundraising in for the hospice.”

For more information about Lindsey Lodge Hospice visit www.lindseylodgehospice.org.uk