'We are running the Leeds 10k in memory of loved ones'

BBC News

14 hours ago

When Steve Scott laces up his trainers for the Leeds 10k race on Sunday, he will be running "in the footsteps" of his friend and colleague, Satpal Singh.Mr Singh died in March, shortly after his 50th birthday. He had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) around a year earlier.Forty of Mr Singh's colleagues at Leeds Teaching Hospitals are taking to the course as part of Satpal's Sprinters - the group formed in his memory.
"He did the 10k when he was a younger man and a student - his family found a lovely photo of him doing it," Mr Scott told the BBC.The runners are tackling the Run for All event in aid of the MND Association, the charity that supported Mrs Singh and his wife Rani through his diagnosis."He struggled to come to terms with it, but the MND Association was there to support him," Mr Scott added."We felt like we had to do something for the charity as we knew how much they do for people who are diagnosed, and their families."
Mr Singh was given regular updates on the group's training and progress before his death."He could see the fun we were having."With some of his colleagues, he was perhaps wondering how on earth they would make it around a 10k!"Mr Scott said the group has "quite a mix" of running abilities; one person had to drop out due to a broken toe but despite the challenges, the team all have a joint motivation."This is mirroring him, he was such a selfless person, such a warm person and the entire group have bought into that; that's why it has grown so much."So far, Satpal's Sprinters have raised more than £14,000 for the MND Association, more than double their original target of £7,000.
What is the Leeds 10k?
First launched in 2007, the Leeds 10k is running for the 18th year with thousands expected to take part.The event will kick off at University of Leeds before ending at the Headrow by Leeds Art Gallery.Organised by Jane Tomlinson's Run for All foundation, it will support a wide range of local and national causes.Participants are encouraged to run for a cause close to their hearts.
Jodie Stead and her partner Matt Murphy are also among the runners taking part.The couple are attempting the challenge in memory of Mr Murphy's friend Lee, who took his own life in 2024. Mr Murphy told the BBC that his death came as a shock. "There was nothing, nobody spotted anything. When the phone calls came around, everyone was baffled."As clichéd as it might sound, he was the life of the party."He was just a really intelligent guy, a funny guy without even trying."
The couple are raising money for Andy's Man Club, a charity which encourages men to speak up about their mental health.Ms Stead believes that if Lee had known about the charity it "might have been a different situation"."We know it is somewhere men can go and talk to peers about anything they are going through. It is a safe space."
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