A former England rugby player is set to run 100 miles in 24 hours down the Thames.
Ex-sevens player Sam Edgerley, 30, is hoping to raise money for Myeloma UK, a charity close to his heart after his best friend’s dad and “hero” Bob Munro was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer.
Edgerley will set off from Putney at 4pm on 30 September to tackle the ‘UltraBob 100’ challenge.
He will be joined by friends and family alongside Bob’s son Joe Munro, who will race the last 26 miles with him.
Sam Edgerley said: “A 100-mile run is a mere patch on the journey Bob has battled through.
“I lost my dad when I was quite young and I really valued him as an older male figure.
“He’s everything I aspire to be: an amazing husband and a fantastic dad.
“He’s an incredible guy and we’re all blessed to know him.
“He has really inspired me through the resilience he has shown over the last 10 years in his fight against myeloma.”
“Myeloma is a type of bone marrow cancer that is increasingly difficult to detect as symptoms, including back pain and fatigue are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions.”
He added: “Bob’s been fortunate to ride the explosion in new myeloma drugs which have kept him in the game for the past 10 years.”
Bob Munro said: “I am very touched. The other night I was chatting to him and I said, ‘This is really tricky, you might get injured, maybe you should cut it down to 100km instead of 100 miles’. The next morning he came back to me and his message said, ‘No way, it has to be 100 miles’.”
Despite his sporting background and the journey of young fatherhood, the furthest Edgerley has run is 40 miles.
In preparation for this challenge, he has been running 15 miles everyday.
Such efforts are helping to accelerate the fundraising process as it aids Myeloma UK’s clinical trials and advocacy work
You can make a donation over at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ultrabob100.
Featured image: Sam Edgerley
