One hundred Seaham runners have joined forces to raise over £2,000 for a North East cancer charity

One hundred runners from Seaham Aspiring Ladies (SALs) and Vane Tempest Running Club have joined forces to run 2,000 miles collectively over the next week to raise money for Maggie’s Newcastle.

They are wearing orange t-shirts to show their support for the cancer charity that is based in the Freeman Hospital, which provides free support and advice to those diagnosed with cancer.

The collaboration comes in support of two of their members, Muriel Ayre, 61, and Debbie Cooper 53, who were both diagnosed with breast cancer last year.

This month marks a year since Muriel was diagnosed so she set herself and the group this challenge after treatment caused her to take a break from running.

She said: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 1 last year. An operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed, which finally finished in January.

“As I left the Freeman Hospital for the final time I froze outside the main entrance, alone with lots of tears, not tears of happiness that treatment had finished but fear, feeling alone and not knowing what to do next.

“I took myself off to the Maggie’s centre across the road and was greeted by their team who sat with me for over an hour listening to my fears. They helped me understand why I was feeling the way I did and that it was normal.”

Debbie also commented on how much Maggie’s Newcastle helped following her own diagnosis.

She added: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February last year. I’d gone to the appointment alone and when I got back into the car I felt as though a grenade had been thrown into my life.

“For months after, cancer and the Covid-19 pandemic meant I had no choices over so many parts of my life.

“I learned about Maggie’s from my two friends who were going through treatment with me around the same time and I was in awe of how they managed to keep people strong during the pandemic.”

An online fundraiser has raised over £2,000 and the challenge will culminate in a special fancy dress finale on Saturday, June 28.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

The Sunderland Echo has been on Wearside since 1873, and your support means we can continue telling your stories for generations to come.

Click here to subscribe.