Mark Edwards, head coach of Rye Lawn Tennis club is running 163 miles of the Saxon Shore Way in a Santa suit to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society. Running the equivalent of 12 half marathons throughout December, Mark will run from Hastings to Rye on Christmas Day in an inflatable suit.
The Alzheimer’s Society is a cause close to his heart having seen both his nan and mum suffering from dementia. “About 15 years ago my mum was diagnosed with early onset dementia which was difficult as my nan had got it at a similar age and passed when she was in her early 60s. Luckily medicine is a lot better these days and mum is still with us although for the last few years she has had to be in a home as she is non-verbal and loves walking so much she would leave the house and walk for miles! Even with a tracker on her it was still too much to deal with and the safest option all round was to have her put in care.
“In lock down I moved back home to help care and spend as much time with her while she was still ‘there’. We would go for walks and coffee and shop and it was a really nice time. That Christmas day I wanted to see one of my friends and I was going to run to his house, have a drink and run back – about 10k in total. I said that if you sponsor me £10 I would run in an inflatable Santa suit I had for the last week at the school I was working at – I would dye my beard and go in in the suit for lessons. He took me up on the offer and I ran to him and back and all was fine then he showed me the local Facebook page and it was full of pictures and videos of me running so I put a just giving page together and we raised about £500. From then on I have been running in the suit every Christmas day -10k for the Alzheimer’s Society raising about £4500 over the past few years.
“With having 2 children and 4 dogs at home this makes Christmas a bit stressful for my wife so I have decided to hang up the Santa suit after this year.”
Look out for Mark running throughout December and in his inflatable suit dashing through Rye on Christmas Day.
You can sponsor Mark on his just giving page here.
Image Credits: Mark Edwards , Mark Edwards/Rye Lawn Tennis Club .