They thought the hail, wind and rain was bad, but it wasn’t until a team of 12 friends and colleagues found themselves running in heatwave conditions that the going got really tough.
The team included key workers and emergency response staff came together to raise awareness about suicide in Cumbria by each running a minimum of 2km every day for 100 days from April to July.
Many of them were not runners and almost everyone on the team has been affected by suicide personally or through their work.
They have run over 1,500 miles and have so far raised almost £3,000 for local charity, Suicide Bereavement Support, obliterating their target of £300.
Pushing boundaries
Ten of the 12 starters successfully completed the challenge, many battling through injury and even illness.
There were team members who had never run before and even Phil, a seasoned marathon runner, expressed surprise at quite how hard going the challenge was.
Inspiration for the whole team was drawn from Jayne Blackwell, 63, who works as a teaching assistant in North Wales.
Despite illness and an initial reluctance to participate, Jayne had completed her daily run by 6.50am before work each day and was a shining inspiration to her younger teammates.
“We can’t quite believe we’ve managed such a huge challenge,” said Anna Blackwell, childminder and ex-police officer from Stainton.
“Initially, the biggest challenge was trying to fit the run in around shift patterns and family life, but, as this became more routine, it was the physical endurance of running day after day that really tested our mettle. It certainly sounded much easier than it turned out to be!”
The highlight was Matthew Brown’s final run in a clown outfit.
“He had a badly swollen ankle and was running in the summer heat dressed as a clown, all because Matt’s friend said he would increase his donation if he ran as a clown,” said Anna.
“Matt was obviously up for it because the reason we all ran was to raise awareness of suicide and help SBS to provide an important service to those who have been touched by suicide, just as my brother and I have.”
Runners’ personal experience of suicide
Most of the team have experienced the reality of suicide as emergency response workers, but Anna and Matthew were personally touched by suicide when they lost their beloved grandfather.
“As children, we knew that Grandpa Mac had taken his own life, but it’s not until you grow older that you really start to understand and feel the impact. It would have been his birthday on May 22 and he’s still very much in our thoughts to this day.
“It’s so important for loved ones left behind by suicide to feel supported and that’s why we wanted to help others through the critical work carried out by SBS.
“I know that SBS is looking at extending its services to support families touched by suicide, a focus that is very close to our hearts.”
To put it in perspective, the heart-breaking statistic of losing someone each week on average to suicide in Cumbria is greater than those lost to road traffic accidents.
Having operated under the wing of national charity Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide for nine years, Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS) was founded in 2019 and builds on that experience to focus on offering a local service to people living in Cumbria and surrounding areas including North Lancashire and South Scotland.
SBS usually offers four self-help support groups across Cumbria, where those left behind by suicide can meet with other people in a similar position.
These have been held virtually in recent months, but are returning to face-to-face meetings moving forward.
The groups provide an opportunity to listen, to share, to gain understanding and to connect with others. A helpline service and private forum is also available and is run by volunteers who have been personally affected by suicide.
People can still support their fundraising by donating what you can via JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/team/100daysofrunningsbs
Support for people touched by suicide
If you are struggling with the death of someone who has taken their own life and need someone to listen to your experience and offer you support, please do get in touch. You can call the SBS helpline on 07572 975 721 (John) or 07896 703 757 (Karan). You can also email [email protected] , or you can visit www.sbs.org.uk or Facebook and Twitter at @CumbriaSBS.
