Inspirational Hartlepool runner caps of a year of fundraisers with virtual Great North Run

Phil and supporters from his charity #TeamSally, named after his wife who died in a car crash, were due to take part in Sunday's iconic half marathon until it was cancelled due to coronavirus.

It would have been his 30th Great North Run after completing his first in 1981.

Instead he signed up for the event's first virtual run and clocked up the 13.1 miles by jogging around the Fens, Owton Manor and Rossmere areas of town in three hours and four minutes.

He said: “Not having the crowds there to support you and cheer you on was different.

"Although quite a few people beeped their horns as you passed and saw quite a few who were doing their own run as well so that was good.”

Other members of #TeamSally who ran their own virtual Great North Runs with sponsorship for Alice House Hospice including Kate Sirs, who raised almost £500, and husband and wife Rob and Claire Mudd.

Member Steve Bell joined Phil, a retired Middlesbrough Council worker, towards the end of his run to offer some support.

Virtual runners used an app through which featured motivational messages from famous North East voices such as Ant and Dec, Alan Shearer and Sting.

Over 16,000 people from all over the world signed up for it.

Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, said: “At the start of the year I would never have imagined that we would have people running the Great North Run on six continents, in 57 countries and every UK postcode area.”

Phil, of the Fens, did the run as part of his 12 fundraisers in 12 months to mark him turning 60 in September all in aid of Alice House Hospice which his late wife Sally was a strong supporter of.

Since its creation in 2014 #TeamSally has collectively raised around £40,000 for Alice House.

Anyone who wishes to donate can do so at Phil Holbrook’s 12 in 12 Challenges at everydayhero.com

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