A Cumbrian dad has completed a mammoth run to raise money and awareness for his daughter’s rare medical condition.
Ian Spriggs, 58, of Brampton, has run 372 miles from Bristol to Newcastle.
Starting at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital, he called in at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Liverpool’s Alder Hey Hospital and finished at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary on August 6.
He has already taken on a number of marathons and ultramarathons including a 235-mile run in six days and the full 87-mile length of Hadrian’s Wall path in one day.
In 2023, he ran 350 miles from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to the RVI.
Each fundraising challenge he takes on pushes him further than the last – and he does it all while raising awareness for phenylketonuria, a condition that affects his daughter, Molly.
Also known as PKU, it means the body is unable to break down an amino acid found in protein, which means if protein is consumed the same way an average person would consume it, it can cause brain damage.
The condition is managed mainly through a low-protein diet, which means Molly must strictly avoid a large amount of foods and supplement her diet with artificial protein.
Ian is raising funds for NSPKU, the charity that supports people with PKU and their families.
Ian said: “It is a very small charity which does a fantastic job in helping people with PKU. NSPKU have always been there for us so it’s only right I attempt to help them.
“Growing up, for a child, friends’ birthday parties, takeaways, fast food, school dinners etc, are virtually non-existent. For the PKU person and the parents, it’s an extremely difficult thing to deal with. You learn to live with it, but it’s tough on everyone involved. The NSPKU help you all the way.”
He thanked his wife, Sharon, who he said he would not have been able to complete the challenge. He said: “From the very start I say to Sharon, ‘”‘I have an idea for the next big run’, she says ‘Here we go again’.
“I then roughly work out a route, just on Google Maps which includes the start, finish and what hospitals are involved and the accommodation.
“She then works a bit of magic and tells me to alter a few accommodations as it would make some days ridiculously long in mileage. Once that’s done, in miniscule detail, Sharon sends me 11 maps, one for each day and the complete map.
“Sharon then books time of work, using her holidays up to indulge my daft idea. Sharon did an amazing job out there, went above and beyond.
“Put very simply, if there was no Sharon, this challenge could not happen.”
He also thanked the people who ran with him, the charity and everyone who sent him messages of support during the challenge, plus those who provided support during the run.
