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Graham Helps Tyne Bridge Harriers in 50 Mile Relay Challenge

On Saturday 21 April 2012 the Tyne Bridge Harriers, a Tony Blair Sports Foundation partner club, organised a 50 mile charity relay along Gateshead Quays and Newcastle Quayside to raise money for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund and the Freeman Heart and Lung Transplant Association. And they were joined by the Tony Blair Sports Foundation and Graham Smith to help reach the 50 mile target.

The daylong event was officially opened at 10am by the Mayor and Mayoress of Gateshead and was also attended by Ian Mearns, MP for Gateshead. It saw members of the Tyne Bridge Harriers and volunteers running a one mile course which took them from Baltic Square on Gateshead Quays over the Swing Bridge and back along Newcastle Quayside before crossing the Gateshead Millennium Bridge to hand the baton to the next group of runners. Members of the Harriers were joined on the first leg of the relay by three inspirational young women who had received organ transplants. One of these girls, 24 year old Kaylee Davison, was the first child in the UK to successfully receive a heart transplant at the Freeman Hospital in 1987.

Taking part in the second lap of the relay to support the Tyne Bridge Harriers’ event were the Tony Blair Sports Foundation member Graham Smith and the Foundation’s Communication Officer Rachel Hayes. Graham is currently attempting to run 2012 miles in 2012 to raise £2012 for the Foundation. He ran a total of 7 laps to help the Harriers in their relay event. The Tony Blair Sports Foundation’s Chief Executive Jeanette Pickard attended the 50 mile charity relay and said:

“We at the Tony Blair Sports Foundation are delighted to have come along to support the Tyne Bridge Harriers’ 50 mile charity relay event today. We have a fantastic partnership with them and are pleased to see so many people taking part in their event today. I am also thrilled that Graham has been able to take part in the event which has not only helped Tyne Bridge Harriers but has also helped him in his challenge to run 2012 miles in 2012 for the Foundation.”

Graham was also involved in another local event on Wednesday 18 April 2012 when he took part in the North of Tyne Athletics Network (NOTAN) Try Athletics Event at Whitley Bay’s Churchill Playing Fields. He joined members of the local community, including a 7 year old boy who ran 4 miles alongside Graham, in running laps of the athletics track at Churchill Playing Fields before braving the April showers to run down to the seafront.

These recent efforts in addition to Graham’s daily runs have taken his total number of miles run in 2012 to 637.05. That’s the equivalent of 24.3 marathons and means Graham is right on track to reaching his 2012 miles target.

To keep up to date with the latest news about Graham’s challenge, you can follow his blog at http://2012milesin2012graham.wordpress.com/ or via Twitter www.twitter.com/whickhamrunning

If you would like to support Graham by making a donation, please visit his just giving page at www.justgiving.com/graham-smith19

For more information about how you can get involved in helping the work of the Tony Blair Sports Foundation please contact us by emailing info@tonyblairsportsfoundation.org or call us on 0191 276 0640