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A team of around 15 cartoon character hulks will take part in this year’s Great Manchester Run on 26 September to help raise money for The Christie in Manchester, one of the leading UK cancer centres.
The team will run in memory of Robert and Pete Broude. Pete tragically and suddenly passed away in May 2020. He had previously run the Great Manchester Run dressed as a hulk to fundraise for The Christie in memory of his son Robert Broude.
Robert, a Manchester Grammar School pupil, was treated as a teenager at The Christie for a rare form of cancer and sadly died in 2004 aged 19. He was the eldest son of Helena and Pete.
Since Robert’s death in 2004, the Broude family from Prestwich have tirelessly fundraised for The Christie charity in memory of Robert.
Pete’s widow, Helena Broude paid this tribute. “My husband Pete ran the Great Manchester Run 10k for 14 consecutive years from 2005 to 2019. He always ran as The Hulk as Robert had always dressed as The Hulk when competing in park runs.
“Sadly, in May 2020, Pete died suddenly after collapsing whilst out running. We were and still are absolutely devastated, and when one of Robert's closest friends suggested we run the next Great Manchester Run in memory of Pete's incredible fundraising efforts, we thought it was a fitting tribute.
“My son, Robert died of cancer in 2004, aged 19. He was cared for at The Christie, which was exceptional and as a family, we decided to raise money for a dedicated outpatient’s unit for teenagers and young adults having treatment at the Christie. We succeeded and now have ‘Rob’s Day Unit’ at The Christie.
“As a family, we have raised £465,000 so far in Robert’s memory, and Pete hoped that we could reach £500,000 and surpass this monumental fundraising goal. We have about 15 runners competing and expect a few more. An additional 14 people will be cheerleaders along the route.”
The team of hulks is being organised by Jonny Reuben, a childhood friend of Robert’s. “We wanted to do something humorous to honour Pete and something that would have made him and Robert smile”, said Jonny. “I’m thrilled that we have received so much support and it will be a fantastic tribute to both Pete and Robert if we can help the Broude family to reach £500,000 in fundraising.”
The head of fundraising at The Christie charity, Louise Stimson added: “We were all shocked and saddened to hear of Pete’s sudden death last year and sent our condolences to Helena and her family.
“The whole Broude family and all their friends have been dedicated and hardworking fundraisers for our vital work supporting cancer patients. We really appreciate everything they do for us and their fundraising has made a huge difference to the lives of teenage and young adult cancer patients through the fantastic legacy of ‘Rob’s Day Unit’. I’m sure the team of hulks will get an extra loud cheer from our charity staff and supporters during the Great Manchester Run.”
The Great Manchester Run is the UK’s biggest 10k and also includes a half marathon distance for those who want more of a challenge. Famous for its city centre route, buzzing atmosphere, iconic music, and its Mancunian spirit in abundance, entries are open to runners aged 15 and above for the 10km even and aged 17 and above for the half marathon. The race organisers have put in place a number of measures to make the event COVID-19 safe and resilient.
To sign up for the Great Manchester Run with Team Christie, please visit our Great Manchester Run event page or call the team on 0161 446 3988. If you have already got your race place and would like to join Team Christie you can contact the team for a sponsorship pack.
The Christie charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust was the first specialist trust to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ twice (in 2016 and 2018) by the health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It referred to The Christie as ‘a leader in cancer care’ and ‘a pioneer in developing innovative solutions to cancer care.’ The CQC praised the Trust’s staff which it said ‘go the extra mile to meet the needs of patients and their families’ and that they were ‘exceptionally kind and caring.’ In 2017, the CQC rated The Christie as the best specialist trust in the country, and one of the top three trusts overall in England.