Respiratory doctor lockdown Manchester half marathon

Consultant chest physician, Georges Ng Man Kwong, has smashed a £300 target by raising £1,500 in a lockdown half marathon for Francis House Children’s Hospice.

L-R Registar Dr Nevan Meghani and Georges Ng Man Kwong in full PPE taken during peak of Covid admissions.

After the cancellation of the Great Manchester Run (May 24) Georges, a respiratory doctor at Royal Oldham Hospital, set up an impromptu socially distancing run, near his home in Bramhall, Stockport.

He said: “I’ve seen the effects of the Covid pandemic in daily life, and at work, as a respiratory doctor in a busy hospital. I have seen the effects of this devastating condition which words do not do justice: courage, care, compassion, worry, fear, togetherness, loneliness, resolve, determination, love, and loss.

“My solo half marathon was not really planned but started off as a run to de-stress after a very busy and challenging time working in hospital near the peak of the Coronavirus outbreak.

“By this time, the Great Manchester Run like so many other events had been cancelled. There is something special about running an organised event especially when it is in such a destination city like Manchester. The energy of thousands of fellow athletes running for good causes is truly inspirational, and a great motivating factor to complete the distance.

Georges completes the Great Manchester Run 2019

“While I was running alone, I got thinking that many charities are struggling with raising funds, so I decided to run the distance and ask for sponsorship by messaging my various groups on social media.”

Within minutes Georges had pledges of support, including donations from spin class friends at David Lloyd Cheadle – also known as the Spartans.

“The response was overwhelming, it felt like there was a chain reaction of support. I was humbled and touched by the response of the many sponsors who gave generously. It made me appreciate the network of friends, family and my awesome NHS colleagues who you can call on in times of need - much like the role that Francis House provides to children and their families at their times of need. Just knowing people are there for you is sometimes enough to cope with almost anything!”
Georges Ng Man Kwong, consultant chest physician

After acknowledging the atmosphere of a mass participant run does ‘tend to help’ with a faster finishing time, Georges, 52, completed his 13.1 mile run in 1 hour 55 minutes.

Helped by 75 supporters he has raised an incredible £1,531 for Francis House.

Making use of the quiet roads during lockdown, he now aims to beat his half marathon personal best of 1:43:36 with an ambition to go sub-1:40.

“If you were going to do an event for charity – do it anyway, if you can – whilst observing social distancing. Charities need your support now more than ever before. Stay active, stay safe and together we will get through this,” he added.