OVER 600 British Heart Foundation (BHF) runners took on the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run as part of the event’s charity partnership.
The determined BHF runners joined 35,000 other trainer-clad participants, to take on either the 10K or half marathon route, all with the same goal of funding lifesaving research.
AJ Bell and the BHF partnered up in 2023 with a joint mission to help improve the nation’s heart health and the partnership will run for two years.
This year’s iconic AJ Bell Great Manchester Run helped the charity to raise over £168,500, which will go towards finding new cures and treatments for the 7.6 million people in the UK currently living with heart and circulatory conditions.
Runners of different ages and backgrounds took to the streets of Manchester, all with their own heartfelt reason for running. Among them was Stephen Edwards, 39, a former office manager from Widnes, who retrained as a personal trainer after suffering severe depression following three successive cardiac arrests.
Stephen was at home in bed in July 2017 when he started to feel unwell. His then partner drove him to Warrington General Hospital where he was given an electrocardiogram (ECG). He was told initially that he had probably had a panic attack, but three hours later while still under observation, he suffered his first cardiac arrest and was resuscitated by hospital medics.
As he was being wheeled to an ambulance to take him to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Stephen had a second cardiac arrest and then a third during the ambulance journey.
Stephen was told he had had a heart attack and needed a stent fitted in a blocked artery. Doctors told him that this caused his cardiac arrests.
Stephen said:
“I was on a lot of different medication and the doctors told me I needed to stay on them for the sake of my health. But it was no life. I was told I couldn’t push myself physically for an unknown length of time or I would risk further damage to my heart. I felt like that was a life I didn’t want to live.
“I was deeply depressed for 18 months, sometimes spending days in bed exhausted through the medication and anxiety of not wanting to leave the house for fear of having another heart attack. I was feeling so hopeless and just wanted my life to end.
“In the end I decided to just get out and go to a gym as a way of killing myself. I thought that at least if I had another heart attack and cardiac arrest then it would end my awful life.
“I’d been planning it in bed for weeks. My plan was to run at the gym until my heart gave out, so it wouldn’t look like suicide to my friends and family, so they wouldn’t have to live with that sadness.
“But through the running I found my cure. After being approved by my medical team, my exercising became my coping mechanisms for my depression. I didn’t have a second heart attack, and I just got stronger and happier. My love for exercise and boxing started then as I saw it as my life saver.
“Over the years I’ve dealt with my demons and after being made redundant I decided to train as a PT and set up my business Sero-Toning Fitness, so I could help others. When I was at my lowest point, I remember thinking to myself ‘if someone could just tell me I would get better, that I would make it to the other side. If I had a glimmer of hope, that would be enough for me to keep pushing forward.’ I now want to be that glimmer of hope for other people.
“I tell them if I can get through it so can you. Having a heart attack doesn’t stop you from doing what you want to do, with the right advice from your doctors and cardiologist anything is possible
“I do one to one sessions from my garage which I made into a fully equipped gym. I have clients who come to me for all kinds of reasons. Not all of them have mental health issues, but a few have been through depression like I have. These are people who don’t want to be seen. The gym for them is not a place to show off. They just need someone by their side who can tell them it’s going to be ok and that they will get through that dark time. That’s what I needed and did for myself and now I can be that person for somebody else. Running the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run half marathon is a big part of me showing others that there is always hope. We can get better, and life is out there.
“I do find that all my clients connect with me more because my truth is lived not learned. I’ve been ill. I’ve been massively overweight. I’ve suffered mentally and physically. I’ve lived these things and survived – and I’ve not learned them from a textbook.”
Karen McDonnell, Senior Events Manager at the BHF, added:
“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part in our events, never fail to inspire me. It was fantastic to see the passion and determination of over 600 BHF runners who took on the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run. Together they’ve help raised an incredible amount which will fund research to help revolutionise treatments and transform the lives of the 7.6 million of people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.”
Anya Gorton, Brand Manager, at AJ Bell said:
“It was hugely inspiring to witness the sea of red BHF runners on Sunday. Having the BHF as our partner for the Great Manchester Run has given us a real insight into the drives behind why people take on the event.
“It was truly fantastic day and we want to say a huge well done to all of the fabulous runners.”
Take on an AJ Bell Great Run Series for British Heart Foundation: www.bhf.org.uk/AJBellGreatRuns.
