Newcastle fan to run the length of the Tyne and Wear Metro for charity
A Newcastle fan from Northumberland is taking on an epic new challenge - attempting to run the full length of the Tyne and Wear Metro - in just one day.
A Newcastle fan from Northumberland is taking on an epic new challenge - attempting to run the full length of the Tyne and Wear Metro - in just one day.
Paul McDougal is doing the 73.5-mile ultra-marathon to raise money for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa), a UK charity which supports children whose parents are suffering from alcohol addiction.
It’s a cause close to his heart as his late mother, Sarah, battled alcohol addiction when he was growing up.
Paul, 35, of Cramlington in Northumberland, will attempt to conquer Metro’s full route length in 24 hours. He will track the Metro lines as closely as possible, taking in the fastest routes between all 60 stations via public roads and footpaths.
The run – which takes place on the weekend of 7-8 February, will see Paul covering the length of Metro’s Yellow and Green lines.
He will the finish at St James Metro station in Newcastle city centre - and as a big Newcastle United fan he plans to do the run in a black and white shirt.
Paul, a travel writer who is usually based in Vietnam in South East Asia, is hoping his challenge will support Nacoa’s free help line for young people who have a parent or guardian with alcoholism.
He said: “This is the biggest and most extreme running challenge that I’ve ever undertaken. I’ve been training hard for it.
“I’m a keen runner but not really an ultra-marathon runner. I’m nervous about the size of the task, but I’m determined to test myself. I’m confident that I can cover the whole Metro route in under 24 hours.
“The Metro map is so familiar, it’s what gave me the idea for the run, and I know that a few other runners have done it in recent years.
“The issues I’ll face are going to be fatigue, the risk of injury, bad weather, and the fact that the first eleven hours of the run will be happening in darkness. It’s a test of endurance but bring it on.”
He added: “My chosen charity is very personal to me as my own mother was an alcoholic when I was growing up. It was a chaotic life. A lot of children live like this and often have very few people that they can turn to.
“This is why I’m supporting Nacoa – raising money for their free helpline for children affected by their parent’s drinking, and also helping to raise awareness of what they do. I’m hoping to raise as much money as I can.
“The more I can publicise the cause, the more we can get away from the shame and stigma there can be about alcohol addiction.”
Metro operator Nexus wished Paul the very best of luck with the challenge.
Lynne Dickinson, Station Delivery Manager at Nexus, said: “Paul is taking on a truly epic running challenge. We would like to wish him the best of luck.
“To cover the full Metro route length in just 24 hours is a big test of endurance. We’ll be cheering him on every step of the way. It’s a worthy cause that he is supporting and one that’s close to his own heart.
“All of the run is taking place on the quickest routes adjacent to our lines, so none of it will actually be taking place on the actual Metro tracks themselves.”
You can follow Paul’s progress on his Instagram page, @the_geordie_challenger.