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‘Runners don't think about sun cream': Parkrun director on painful skin condition
'I'm not looking for sympathy. But I thought: 'If I show my face and tell people what it is, then maybe they'll learn from it,''
Eric is known at the Waterworks Parkrun for singing and wearing a backwards baseball cap, which will now be front-facing
A Co Antrim runner is attempting to raise awareness for a painful skin condition caused by sun damage, after he was diagnosed with actinic keratosis earlier this year.
Eric Montgomery (68) is a familiar face at Waterworks Parkrun in Belfast, where he has been a volunteer and participant since the event's beginnings 15 years ago.
However, on Saturday, he marked a milestone with a difference — returning as run director for the 700th Waterworks event, just days after finishing a gruelling three-week course of treatment that left his face raw, red and inflamed.
'I just wanted to give people a heads-up so they're not traumatised when they see my bake,' he wrote in a now-viral Facebook post to the Parkrun community, attaching a photo of his blistered skin.
'Please, always slap sun cream on your gob.'
Eric running for Lagan Valley AC in 2023
Actinic keratosis, also known as solar keratosis, is a rough, scaly patch on the skin that develops from years of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun. Though it starts as sun damage, if left untreated it can sometimes lead to skin cancer.
The condition is more common in older adults and those who've spent long periods outdoors without protection.
Eric, who has spent much of his working life outside — first in the shipyard, and later as a leakage engineer for the water service — said the first signs appeared more than a year ago.
'It started with dry skin on both sides of my eyes. My wife kept telling me to use moisturiser. I tried E45 and all sorts, but it didn't shift,' he said.
'Then about six months ago, two little dots appeared on my cheek, and they crusted over.'
'From now on, my baseball cap will be frontwards — and there'll be factor 50 underneath it'
When Eric finally went to his GP, he was referred to dermatology, where the diagnosis was confirmed.
'The consultant explained it to me in simple terms. She said: 'Think of it like angina — a warning of something worse. It can be treated — but if you don't [treat it], it can lead to cancer.' And as soon as you hear that, you panic.'
The treatment comprised a powerful cream applied to the entire face daily for three weeks.
While the cream targets visible damage, it also draws out hidden damage beneath the skin, leading to an intense reaction that's difficult to hide and hard to bear.
'You wouldn't have seen anything the first week. Second week, it started to appear. But see that third week? Brutal,' Eric said.
'I was up in the middle of the night for hours with the pain. It's like the worst sunburn you've ever had, and then some.'
Still, he was determined not to shy away from his Parkrun volunteer duties.
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'I'm not looking for sympathy. But I thought: 'If I show my face and tell people what it is, then maybe they'll learn from it,'' he explained.
'Especially in the running community, we're out all year round. And a lot of people don't think about sun cream here. I never did. Not in Belfast.'
Eric admits he used to be the kind of person who put on 'a bit of factor 15 on holiday' and didn't think much more of it. But during a recent trip to Tenerife, after his diagnosis, he covered up for the first time.
Runner Eric Montgomery developed a painful skin condition after years of sun exposure
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'I bought a big floppy hat and used factor 50 every day. I'd never done that before in my life. But once you know what the damage is, you realise you don't want to make it worse.'
Waterworks Parkrun was the first ever Parkrun in Ireland when it launched in November 2010, and Eric has been there from the beginning.
A member of Lagan Valley Running Athletics Club for more than 30 years, Eric has long been known to regulars as the 'singing run director' thanks to his habit of breaking into homemade songs during the morning briefing: 'People love it. I've made up loads of songs about Parkrun over the years — it just makes it a bit of fun.'
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His wife, also a keen runner, celebrated her 500th Parkrun at Waterworks last year. Though Eric is the more competitive of the two, he says Parkrun has been the perfect environment for them both.
'She used to be embarrassed about being slow, but that's the whole point of Parkrun — it's for everyone. It's not about the time; it's about the taking part.'
On a typical Saturday, Waterworks Parkrun attracts around 250-300 runners. But with the latest being the 700th event — plus Eric's post attracting nearly 1,000 likes and comments — he's expecting a few more attendees this coming weekend, including visitors trying to tick off the letter W as part of the Parkrun alphabet challenge.
Eric developed a painful skin condition after years of sun exposure
It's that same community spirit that encouraged him to speak out.
'Since I posted about it, it's been amazing how many people messaged me saying they've had the same thing, or didn't know what it was called,' he said.
'It's sore. It's really sore. But if it gets people thinking about sun protection, then it's worth it.'
From now on, one thing will definitely be changing, he said: 'I always wear my baseball cap backwards. But from now on, it'll be frontwards — and there'll be factor 50 underneath it.'
