Bedlington man to run Great North Run for British Heart Foundation after dad’s sudden death
A Bedlington man is completing the AJ Bell Great North Run in memory of his father who died suddenly after the pair pledged to tackle the challenge together.
Kit Lumsdon, 22, and his father Brian made the pact to sign up following last year’s event. However, just four weeks later in October 2024, Brian, 53, suffered a heart attack and sadly died.
Determined to honour their agreement, Kit is now doing the half marathon solo. He will be running for British Heart Foundation (BHF), the UK’s largest independent funder of cardiovascular research.
Kit, an engineering apprentice who plays for Bedlington FC, said: "After last year’s event, we were talking about how amazing it must be to take on the challenge, and I said, ‘Well, that could be us next year!’ And that was that - we made a pact to sign up together.
“A few weeks later, Dad had a heart attack and passed away suddenly. It was a massive shock. He was only 53 and seemed fine, so it was the last thing any of us expected.”
The BHF was named official charity of the AJ Bell Great Run Series in 2023, with the partnership now in its second year. All the money raised is invested in improving the nation’s heart health.
Kit added: “I was over the moon when I got my place to run for BHF. I never expected to be losing Dad at just 53, so it means a lot to us to help support cardiovascular research, so other families don’t have to lose a loved one like we did.
“There will be a lot of mixed emotions on the day, not having Dad there. But I know I would have been doing it with him if he was still here, and he would have wanted me to do it.”
.Karen McDonnell, senior events manager at British Heart Foundation, said: “It’s fantastic to see Kit’s courage and determination to honour his dad, Brian, and to help us fund lifesaving research.
"Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners and people like Kit we wouldn’t be able to fund the research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed so many lives across the UK.”
To support Kit’s fundraising efforts, see https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/kit-lumsdon.