Robbie runs the Hardmoors Mega Slam

After completing my 75km run last year, I set about trying to find and train for something much more challenging. In November, I successfully gained a place on the Hardmoors Mega Slam - a challenge consisting of six ultra marathons of varying distances in 2024. The completion rate for this amongst experienced runners is exactly 30%. I am the only entry this year that I'm aware of who has never run a 100 mile race. I've never even run a 50 mile race!

Hardmoors Mega Slam 2024

Hardmoors 30 - 6th January - 34mi/55km ✅

Hardmoors 55 - 23rd March - 56mi/90km

Hardmoors 110 - 18th/19th May - 112mi/180km and 20000ft/6000m of elevation gain

Hardwolds 40 - 22nd June - 47mi/75km

Hardmoors 60 - 21st September - 62mi/100km

Hardwolds 80 - 23rd/24th November - 80mi/130km

As well as pushing myself to new limits, I love supporting people through running. Last year we raised a total of £1720 for two important causes. This year, especially now I'm working much more closely with Lindsey, my fundraising will be entirely focussed on supporting her family to cover the costs of some of the treatment that will be required very soon. Through a donation, you will literally be extending Lindsey's Mum's life. To put the impact of this treatment simply, 10 years a go, Val was only given 3 months to live.

Val’s Journey:

In February 2014 Valerie Coulson, was diagnosed with stage three C primary peritoneal cancer and informed that she had between three months and two years to live. At this stage she was informed this was an incurable diagnosis. She went on to have three sessions of chemotherapy followed by a major debulking operation to remove the remaining cancer, and three more sessions of chemotherapy. Valerie was, and still is, allergic to the form of chemotherapy that she needs for her cancer and therefore the sessions could last up to 9 hours as the nurses had to deliver the medicine slowly in line with an antihistamine in order for her body to accept it. If not, she had a severe allergic reaction causing her extreme pain and discomfort whilst also going into anaphylactic shock.

She was fortunate enough for a more positive outcome than initially expected, and went into remission for 21 months. Unfortunately in March 2016, the family were informed Valerie’s cancer was beginning to show signs of returning and was offered the opportunity to enrol upon a drugs trial which she did. She had been monitored throughout her time upon the trial but upon a visit to clinic, at St. James Oncology, she was informed that she was to be removed from the trial as the cancer was now at a progressive stage and therefore immediate chemotherapy was required. She then underwent another 6 cycles of Chemotherapy and monitored closely with three weekly visits to St. James Hospital, as with Ovarian cancer it is always expected to return which it did.

Research states that it is estimated that over 2,500 women would benefit from Avastin every year – a drug no longer available on the NHS since 2015. Avastin isn't a cure but it can extend lives by up to two years! Valerie self funded Avastin through fundraising and it gave her 42 months of the cancer being kept at bay until February of this year.

Unfortunately it returned in 2023, and Valerie has accessed a gruelling 6 cycles of chemotherapy once again. This time the family have been informed that even after the positive response from Avastin, previously, she cannot have the drug funded through the NHS and so the family are set to fund raise once again to recommence this treatment and access to the drug.