An 83-year-old runner from Tunbridge Wells who recently had hip replacement surgery completed the Great North Run in memory of her late husband.
Caroline Quibell, a retired children’s nurse, took on the half marathon on Sunday September 10 in honour of her husband, Michael, who died last October aged 81 after a seven-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
The grandmother of 12 ran alongside her eldest son, Toby, 56. She has surpassed her fundraising target, raising more than £3,000 for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation – a charity funding research into effective treatments for MND.
She has taken part in the Great North Run, which covers the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields, three times before.
The last time, in 2018, saw Mr Quibell cheering her on, but a combination of Covid restrictions and providing care for her late husband has since prevented her from taking part.
Mrs Quibell trained around the parks in Tunbridge Wells, accompanied by her “best friend” Streak – her two-year-old Irish water spaniel.
“The children persuaded me to have a dog, which I’m glad I did because he is now my best friend,” she said.
“I run with him for an hour every day.”
However, preparing for this year’s Great North Run had been “a bit painful” after Mrs Quibell had a fall a week before her husband’s funeral, which required her to undergo hip replacement surgery in November.
Despite the setback, Caroline completed the Great North Run with a speedy finish time of 3 hours and 50 minutes.
You can donate to Caroline’s page at justgiving.com/page/caroline-quibell-1689709306493
