Surgeon becomes the first woman to run the Metro route

Alice Townend completed the gruelling 65-mile challenge earlier today, Sunday 9 August, tracking both of Metro’s yellow and green lines in under 24 hours.

Her superhuman effort was in support of Women’s Street Watch, a grassroots network of volunteers who work on the streets of Newcastle at night to keep women safe.

Alice, 53, of Great Park in Newcastle, works as a consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon at the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The run was inspired not only by her chosen cause and her own personal passion for running, but also by the story of Paul McDougal from Cramlington, who successfully ran the Metro lines in just 18 hours earlier this year.

Alice crossed the finish line in 21 hours and 55 minutes and became the first woman to complete the Metro ultra-marathon, which has grown in popularity in recent years. She has raised over £6,000.

She said: “I’m really proud and emotional to have completed this run. I’m absolutely shattered.

“It was really hard. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’ve done long distances before, but this was harder. The first day it was really hot, and I went through some tough moments early on Sunday morning, but I managed to get through it with the help of my amazing support team.

“It was an incredible feeling to cross that finish line with my friends and family there. I’m particularly proud to be the first women to run the Metro marathon.”

She added: “I have been running in support of Women’s Street Watch. I want to highlight women’s safety, because ordinarily we can’t do runs like this late at night on our own.

“I also wanted to show that women of my age, in their 50s, should not be written off. We can do tough things, we just have to be brave enough to try.”

Lynne Dickinson, Station Delivery Manager at Nexus, said: “Our congratulations go to Alice for completing this epic challenge. It’s an incredible feat of endurance to track both Metro lines in a single day.

“We were delighted to welcome her at the finish line in Newcastle.  She is supporting a really worthwhile cause. She can now take a well-earned rest.”