The Tale Of Three Charity Runners

One of England’s largest road races is full of courageous runners.

The Daily Mirror Web site recently profiled three charity runners who are taking part in the 2011 edition of the Bupa Great North Run. The annual race–a half marathon that runs through the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead, England–takes place in September.

One of the runners profiled, Susan Gregory, lost her child, Luke, at birth in 2004.

“I went to hospital for a scan and the doctor couldn’t find a heartbeat,” she recalls. ” I kept thinking everything would be fine. Like most people I thought I was home and dry after I passed the 12-week mark. I thought they would find his heartbeat, but Luke had passed away.”

After that tragic event, she pledged to donate and raise money for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

The second runner in the article is 37-year-old Claire Cooper. Cooper, a policewoman, is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with the deadly disease three years ago. After surgery and chemotherapy, Cooper decided to get back into shape through running.

“I felt I had something to prove. I enjoyed running before but I had only run 10 miles. The Great North Run was something I’d always wanted to do. I wanted to prove I could do it. Prove that I was well enough and give myself something to aim for,” she said.

For More: Daily Mirror