Run challenge remembers stepson 'taken too soon'

John Paul Green has already completed events such as the South Shields 10 Mile

A man is to take on the Great North Run in memory of his stepson who was born with an undiagnosed medical condition that meant he was unable to walk or communicate verbally.

Matthew Ragsdale had a condition similar to cerebral palsy and died at the age of 14 in 2009.

Now his stepfather, John Paul Green, of Sunderland, is to take on the half marathon on 7 September to raise money for city-based charity Grace House, which provides disability support for children and their families across the North East.

He described Matthew as having the "most remarkable smile and a wicked sense of fun".

About 60,000 people are set to take on the 13.1-mile (21km) course between Newcastle and South Shields this year, according to the company behind the event, raising millions of pounds for charities.

Mr Green, a faculty academic support lead at the University of Sunderland, says his stepson would have gone on to benefit from the services offered by Grace House and the family have supported it in recent years through a variety of fundraising challenges.

Matthew Ragsdale was described as having an infectious laugh

He has been training for the past five months having not previously been a regular runner.

"To be honest, I never thought I was built for running - too many bad memories of being a regular attendee at the back of cross-country runs in school," he explained.

"My daughter completed the Great North Run in 2024 and she's a big inspiration. She ran for Grace House then."

Mr Green said Matthew was a regular visitor to the university while his mum, Kay, studied for a media degree.

He added: "His laughter was infectious and he brought so much joy and happiness to all those who met him.

"Sadly, in 2006 an incident left him with a serious brain injury, just four months before his brother and sister were born, from which he never fully recovered, and his life-limiting conditions meant he passed away far too soon.

"We were all fortunate that Matthew got to know Lucy and Daniel before he passed away two years after their birth and while it was short, the time they spent with Matthew, and the memories of him, had a profound and positive effect on them, as well as all who knew him."