'The relief and joy was indescribable': Ipswich man tackles debut marathon for his best mate's dad

Why it matters: Matt Oldfield, a sports lecturer at Suffolk New College, ran the Manchester Marathon with his best friend James Blair, after Blair's stepfather Mike was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2024.

The big picture: The Manchester race was the second leg of a triple marathon challenge for Blair, who completed the Paris Marathon two weeks earlier and will take on the London Marathon this weekend, with Oldfield travelling to the capital to cheer him on.

What they're saying: Reflecting on the race, Oldfield said: "It was hard. I did complete it which was always the main goal. I made some mistakes on my nutrition during the race and ultimately stopping for a toilet break and then went too quickly to catch James — and I hit a wall around mile 14. Emotionally, it's the hardest thing I've done. So, getting to the finish, well, the relief and joy was indescribable."

For context: Oldfield said he drew strength from the example of rugby league player Kevin Sinfield, who has raised over £11m for MND charities in memory of his friend Rob Burrows. "You look at people like the rugby player Kevin Sinfield, who has raised millions. Seeing what he has been doing can only spur you on, and that helped me in the tough times during the race," he said.

The bottom line: Matt and James have already raised £6,000 for the MND Association. If you would like to support their campaign, you can donate below.

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