On June 13th 2026, I will be running the South Downs Way 100 mile challenge for Behcet's UK. The event starts at Matterley Bowl and follows the South Downs Way to the finish in Eastbourne.

Behcet's disease is a rare auto-immune condition, which attacks the body's immune system and affects a person in a number of ways, including arthritis and severe joint pain, ulcers and rashes which can pop up at any time, risk of sepsis and extreme fatigue. Unfortunately there is no cure and the best sufferers can hope for is to manage the condition to reduce the impact on their lives. Treatment involves suppressing the immune system, which makes you vulnerable to infections and other illnesses

My wife Jo has been suffering with this horrible disease for 14 years and has tried many treatments, but sadly nothing has really made a positive long term improvement to her quality of life. We have two sons and this disease has affected all of our lives in so many ways including frequent trips to hospitals and specialist appointments all over the country. She often has days where just getting up and doing many of the things we take for granted will lead to complete exhaustion or cause the disease to flare. Just before Christmas, she was finally forced to medically retire from her nursing career at just 47 years old, which has been very difficult for her. Despite all of this, she tries to put a smile on and muddle through.

Having seen first hand how this horrible disease can affect people, i'm hoping to raise as much as possible to fund vital research in to the disease and to find more effective treatments.

Behçet’s UK cares for all those affected by Behçet’s including patients and their carers. We promote research into this rare, complex, and lifelong condition and our ultimate aim is to find a cure but in the meantime, we will strive to obtain the best care for all Behçet’s patients.