Matt Hutchinson and Simon Edwards are chefs, work colleagues, friends and now runners (again) in the Great North Run.
The Great North Run is the largest half-marathon in the world, and this year taking place on the 8 September, running from the centre of Newcastle-upon-Tyne to South Shields.
Matt and Simon last ran, and completed, the race in 2022. They raised £888 for Brain Tumour Research, and this time they are raising money for Blood Cancer UK. To see their Just Giving Page
Matt works at the Foundry Project, and Simon at the Empress on the Stray.
Matt Said:
We did the Great North Run two years ago, and then had a year off. Last year we ran for my Nan, and the brain tumour charity.
Simon and I looked at a number of charities to run for, but we had left it very late. This year we are raising money for a blood cancer charity.
We haven’t started training yet as we have been busy with work.
The Empress will be running a trivia night to help us raise some funds, and Mark Pieman is also doing a quiz night for us at the Foundry Project.
Since 2022 I have put the best part of 3-stone back on, and I really need to get that off, and Simon has done well in getting back to losing weight.
I am biking too and from work each day as part of my training, that’s from Knaresborough to the centre of Harrogate. Have also been using the steps in Knaresborough that goes from the riverside up to the castle, that has made me shattered at times.
I have known Simon for about 12-years, and are best friends. We do stupid things, as friends do.
Simon actually wasn’t going to do it this year, but was peer pressured into doing it by the manager at the Empress, Trish and his mum.
And now he is doing more about it than I am doing!
Simon said:
I am about 1.5stone down already.
When we did the race before, we said we would keep up with the running, but never did.
If we don’t stop at the Shell garage or for Ice Cream, we are hopeful that we will get a better time than when we did it in 2022.
