A PhD student with a close family interest in making ME a thing of the past will be running in our team in the London Landmarks Half Marathon next month.
Erin Lawrence, who has been getting up to speed in the parkland around London’s Olympic Park, will be one of our 11 runners taking party in the iconic, closed-roads event which takes in most of the sights of central London on 6th April.
“I hold the ME Association’s mission close to my heart, as my mother-in-law, Kate, has suffered from ME for the last 13 years,” she told us.
“Having witnessed how debilitating ME can be both physically and emotionally on those living with ME and for the family and carers, I would love to run for The ME Association to raise money to support the amazing work you do.
“Not only this, but Kate has shown a level of resilience that has been truly inspiring, and I would like to channel her resilience by putting my mind (and body) into something as challenging as a half marathon.
“I am in awe of the work that The ME Association does, both in terms of the support that you provide to those living with ME/CFS but also your commitment to fund important research work in this field.
“As a PhD student working in the research field of chronic illnesses, I know first-hand that pioneering research cannot be conducted without the support of charities like The ME Association.”
Erin wants to work in the field of psychosis, particularly in the identification of risk factors for health outcomes and disease progression. She hopes to gain her doctorate from Queen Mary University of London next year.
The 27-year-old hasn’t done much running since 2020, the year of the George Floyd murder, when she ran 270 kilometres in the space of 40 days for ‘Black Lives Matter' causes in the UK.
But this week she managed to run 16k as part of her ‘get race-fit’ plan for the London Landmarks Half, her longest distance for some years. “Hard work, but I’m getting there!”, she told us.
Family and friends, led by her partner Louis, will be turning out in force to support her.
In the family photo, she is pictured with mother-in-law Kate and Louis.
If you would like to support Erin’s fundraiser, please visit her online page:
Erin Lawrence – London Landmarks Half Marathon 2025
Fundraising for ME Association
Tony Britton
Senior Fundraising Volunteer, The ME Association
tony.britton@meassociation.org.uk Mob: 07393 805566
