Man with Parkinson’s Runs the 100-Mile Oxbridge Challenge - 28th March 2025
A 67 year-old man with Parkinson’s is running 100 miles, non-stop, from Oxford to Cambridge next weekend (April 4/5).
Neil Russell, from Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, is no stranger to big challenges, having already run from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 2021 and from London to Barcelona in 2023. Later that year, he won the ITV West Pride of Britain Award.
Neil is running the Oxbridge Challenge on the weekend of April 5th and 6th to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK, where money will go towards research into the condition and hopefully finding a cure.
Neil, a former advertising executive, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017 but refuses to let the condition define him. A prolific runner throughout his life, he is certain that his fitness and long-distance exploits have helped him cope.
“I’m getting older and my Parkinson’s is becoming more of a burden,” said Neil. “But I’m determined to keep running and maintaining my fitness because I know it’s helping. I’m running because I still can.”
“This challenge is going to be difficult because it means running through the night and it will be so important to keep my spirit and my energy levels up.”
Both those will be bolstered by the support of his wife, Nicky who will cycle alongside him. A support team will also be on hand, including two of his regular running team from Bourton Roadrunners.
Nicky said: “Neil continues to be amazing throughout all these challenges. I don’t know how he does it and I’m not sure he does either.”
Joining Neil for a section of the run will be his Oxford-based consultant and – after completing the Oxbridge Challenge - Neil will be a guest panellist at the Synuclein 2025 Meeting at the University of Cambridge, looking into the latest developments in research into Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Neil will also be joined for part of the route by Caroline Rassell, the Parkinson’s UK chief executive. The pair will take time out along the way to run a lap of the Stadium MK during half-time of the MK Dons vs Barrow Division Two match on April 5.
Neil is being sponsored for the Oxbridge Challenge by Imagine Cruising, the luxury holiday company with offices in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, which also supported his trek to Barcelona.
Steve Morrish, Imagine Cruising’s Group Managing Director, said: “Neil is an incredible individual who continues to defy his condition and prove that he can still run. We love to be part of such a worthwhile cause. Some of our team will be joining him on the challenge and we’ll be there at the finish to celebrate his achievement.”
Neil will set off in the early hours from John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and run through Bicester and Milton Keynes on his way to Cambridge.
Around 153,000 people in the UK live with Parkinson’s, a condition that is the fastest-growing neurological disorder worldwide.
For more information about the challenge and Neil’s fundraising, go to https://www.neilstillcan.run/
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Highlights
Neil is running the Oxbridge Challenge on the weekend of April 5th and 6th to raise funds for Parkinson's UK.
Neil during training for Oxbridge 100 Challenge - March 2025
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