Dear Friends,

On September 19 I'll be running the Great North Run, a half-marathon that involves desperately fleeing Newcastle (something I'm good at). 

I'm running for two reasons:

1. It's a chance to meet Sting. Last year he showed up looking like Charlton Heston in 'The Ten Commandments', waved a starting gun around the place, and gave high-fives to most of the 35,000 runners. If that's not worth running 13 miles for I don't know what is. 

2. I'm raising money for The Prostate Cancer Charity, which is doing stellar work fighting a disease that's sadly still far too common. Many of the men on both sides of my family have had it and the odds are pretty good that you know someone diagnosed with it as well.

So please do consider sponsoring me. 13 miles. It's quite a long way. In their inimitable style Northumbria Police said usually only "one or two" people die doing it each year. I'm not planning on doing that but I'll be a happier wheezing runner knowing that I've raised some money for a good cause.

Many thanks,

Raf

p.s. Sting. Seriously.