Newcastle University Athletics Greggs Relay

On Sunday 28th April, several members of Newcastle University Athletics and Cross Country Club will be scrambling around Newcastle to run between a total of 31 Greggs throughout Newcastle!

Being the athletes that we are, each athlete will purchase a sausage roll at the initial Greggs, carry the sausage roll baton all the way to the next shop, stop to eat it (and hope they were fast enough that it’s still hot), where the next member can then go and purchase their roll to continue the run!

We are doing this to raise money for our club charity of the year, ME Association. This is a charity which supports individuals living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, a neurological condition that affects multiple body systems (including, but not limited to the nervous, immune and gastrointestinal systems, and also causes dysfunction of cellular energy metabolism). One of the main defining characteristics of ME is Post External Malaise, which is a delay to any exertion (including very minor passive movement or cognition), causing a worsening of all symptoms and can last for days or even months. ME has a wide spectrum of severity and can significantly impact an individuals’ quality of life. ME is a non-discriminate condition, affecting people of all ages with a chronic disease course, and unfortunately no treatment is currently available.

We have chosen to support this charity in support of alumni Alice Barrett. Alice was Welfare Officer during my first year at Newcastle University, being a kind and friendly face for everyone on the team, before graduating in 2019. In 2020, Alice was diagnosed with ME, and unfortunately since, has deteriorated and now has very severe ME which means she is reliant on 24-hour care and is completely bed bound.

ME Association works to support individuals like Alice and their families living with ME to provide advice about the condition, as well as funding research through the Ramsay Research Fund to improve understanding of the disease and develop safe and effective treatments.