Hartlepool sergeant runs 250km in a month to raise money for mental health charity

A Hartlepool man and his colleague have run hundreds of kilometres across the country in November to support a mental health charity.
Sergeant Thomas Jeffries (right) completed the event alongside Captain Will Addison (left).Sergeant Thomas Jeffries (right) completed the event alongside Captain Will Addison (left).
Sergeant Thomas Jeffries (right) completed the event alongside Captain Will Addison (left).

Sergeant Thomas Jeffries, from the Seaton area of the town, denied the dark mornings and the cold weather to successfully complete a running challenge in support of Movember.

The organisation promotes men’s health by taking on mental health and suicide prevention, as well as prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thomas, who took part in the event alongside Captain Will Addison, 27, from London, completed the final 30km of the run at Seaton Carew on Tuesday, November 30.

Will Addison (pictured)  joined Thomas for the challenge.Will Addison (pictured)  joined Thomas for the challenge.
Will Addison (pictured) joined Thomas for the challenge.

The pair had been running on every even date of the month, starting of with a 2k run on November 2 in Wales, where they were based at the time, and raising the distance by 2km each time.

Thomas, 38, said they wanted to take part and raise awareness after witnessing first hand some of their colleagues struggle with their mental health.

"I have struggled in the past with mental health,” said Thomas.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It’s one of those things that unless you’ve been through it, you’re not really aware of what coping stuff is available.

"It’s just to raise that awareness that you’re not alone. There’s a lot of organisations that can help you.

"Mind, or your GP, or even something as simple as speaking to your family about it or your friends.”

Read More
Ex-wife of tragic Hartlepool veteran raises awareness about PTSD support

The pair also completed their second to last run on November 28 just days after Hartlepool had battered Storm Arwen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thomas said that although it had been snowing and a stretch of the route was icy, they were still determined to go out and run the distance.

He said: “It was like, we need to do it, regardless the weather.

"On completion you just feel that good sense of achievement.”

Thomas has also added it was a chance for Will to experience the North.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “It was for Will to see a bit of a true north. He really enjoyed the route, looking at the Trincomalee and the Headland.

"Everyone was saying hello, it was good.”

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling Hartlepool’s stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Mail’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.