Consett man bares his sole for CAFOD
John gets ready for the Great North Run
A council worker from Consett is aiming to raise hundreds of pounds for CAFOD next weekend in the Great North Run - and will run the last mile barefoot.
John McBride, 45, a father of three, will line up along with over 50,000 other runners including a 200 strong team running for international aid agency CAFOD, to compete in the famous half-marathon on Sunday 5th October.
John, a parishioner of St Patrick's Church, Consett said: "I've been a CAFOD supporter all my life, and completed the Great North Run twelve times before. I knew I was going to do it again this year, but wanted to do something a bit different to raise more money. The last mile's pretty flat and on grass, so I thought, 'why not?'"
The challenge will be even greater for John as he's decided not to do any special bare-foot training before the race in case he picks up an injury. However, he's confident that he can survive for the last mile and is hoping to finish in under 2hrs 15 minutes.
A member of Derwentside Athletics Club, John describes himself as a runner, "keen when it's good weather", but is expecting to be nearer the back next Sunday and is relying on the crowd to get him home. "I'm not really that nervous about it. The crowd is always great, urging you on, and I'm sure that even if I have to walk it, they'll help me all the way. I want to raise money, but this is also about showing my solidarity with people who are poor. Some people overseas have no choice about wearing trainers or not. I want to try and support them."
As a committed supporter of the Catholic aid agency, John wanted to enter the Great North Run to raise money to help development projects around the world. CAFOD works with local communities in over 50 countries to help them meet their own needs.
John is aiming to raise at least £200 this year. If you would like to support him, please go to www.justgiving.com/johnmcbride
Photo thanks to CAFOD