In April I’ll be taking on the Manchester Marathon and I’m raising money for the CSF Leak Association. This isn’t a charity I found online. This is the condition my mum has lived with since 2015.

Our story

Most people have never heard of a CSF leak. A CSF leak happens when the fluid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord escapes through a tear or hole in the membrane that contains it. The symptoms include severe headaches that worsen when upright, nausea, exhaustion, and cognitive difficulties that make it hard to think or function.

My mum was diagnosed in 2015. Over the ten years since, her symptoms have gradually worsened and she has been able to do less and less. The last year has been the most severe, leaving her almost entirely bedbound. In December 2025 she had surgery to repair the leak and we are now waiting to see whether it has worked.

Even a successful repair isn’t necessarily the end of the story. When a CSF leak goes undiagnosed or untreated for years, the body and brain can undergo changes that don’t simply reverse once the leak is fixed. The evidence shows that patients who are diagnosed and treated quickly, ideally within a year, have much better outcomes. Early diagnosis matters enormously, and that is exactly what the CSF Leak Association is working towards.

Why I’m running:

The CSF Leak Association funds research, supports patients, and works to improve awareness among medical professionals so that people are diagnosed faster and treated sooner. I’m running to support that work, and in the hope that other families don’t face what ours has.

My mum’s still bed bound but we’re all hoping that by race day, she might be a little closer to watching me run on her feet.

Please donate if you can. Every pound helps.

Thank you.

Ruaridh