University lecturer completes epic 50-mile ultra-marathon

A university lecturer who took up running to keep fit during the pandemic has pushed his newfound interest to the limit by completing a 50-mile ultra-marathon.

Jason Lawlor, a senior lecturer in paramedic practice at the University of Cumbria, finished the Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 on Saturday 2 May in 12 hours and 55 minutes.

The 43-year-old, who has worked for the university for more than two years, described the challenge as one of the hardest but most rewarding things he had ever done.

“I took up running about five years ago as way to exercise during the Covid lockdowns and decided to see how far I could take it,” said Jason, who is based at University of Cumbria’s Lancaster campus on Bowerham Road.

“My time qualified me for a silver medal in the ultra-marathon, which I’m really pleased with.”

If the run, which involved more than 2,500m of ascent in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, was not hard enough already, Jason injured his knee and toe with around 15 miles to go.

But he powered through to cross the line close to his target time of 12 hours, much to the delight of his family.

“My family were absolutely delighted that I completed the race more or less in the planned time,” said Jason, whose daughter was there to support him on the day. “Thankfully they didn’t have to hang around until the evening for me to finish!”

He added: “The toughest part of the challenge was a combination of the training and latter parts of the race.

“It took about seven months to build up the base fitness to complete the challenge – lots of early mornings on the weekend to be able to fit in long and secluded runs.

“That took a lot of discipline.

“During the race, in the second half, my legs became tired, I picked up a knee and toe sprain, so I had to dig deep to complete it.”

Jason chose to raise funds for suicide prevention charity CALM, with his efforts already attracting around £400 in donations.

“I find the mental health statistics in the UK quite alarming but not surprising,” said the lecturer. “Also, both my wife and I have family and friends who have had their own mental health challenges. So, this was for them.

“CALM take around 28,000 calls a month, a call every 59 seconds. That intervention could be life changing.

“I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who’s sponsored me so far.”

If you’d like to support Jason, you can visit his fundraising page here: Jason Lawlor is fundraising for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)

If you are or someone you know needs CALM's support, you can ring the helpline on 0800 58 58 58.