An A sports lecturer from Suffolk New College joined his best friend during a triple marathon challenge to help raise money for people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Matt Oldfield, 35, from Ipswich is a sports lecturer at Suffolk New College.
He ran with his best friend, James Blair from Wilmslow in Cheshire, at the Manchester marathon last weekend.
He is now going to head to London this weekend to cheer James on during the last leg of his journey. James completed the Paris marathon two weeks ago in a time of four hours and 18 minutes.
The duo ran on behalf of James’ stepdad Mike, who was diagnosed with MND in 2024. The pair have already raised £6k for the charity.
And Matt is in a reflective mood after successfully completing the 26-mile course.
He said, “It was hard. I did complete it, which was always the main goal. I made some mistakes with my nutrition during the race, and ultimately stopped 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 were indescribable.”
Matt has not only been inspired by his best mate and Mike. He has also taken a lot from the Rugby League player Kevin Sinfield, who has currently raised over £11million for various MND charities in memory of his friend Rob Burrows.
Matt added, “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 will help me in the tough times during the race.”
If you would like to donate money to Matt’s cause, you can do so via this link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/matthew-oldfield-1?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=LFCFRUK_Badge75&mi_u=20040561&mi_ecmp=LFCFRU