Unbelievable Jeff will March for Men again for Prostate Cancer UK

Intrepid television presenter Jeff Stelling will lace up his walking boots once more in another unbelievable walking challenge for Prostate Cancer UK.

Teaming up with the leading men’s health organisation, the long-standing Soccer Saturday host is aiming to raise £500,000 on his March for Men, 15 walking marathons in 15 days at the start of June, from Exeter City FC to Newcastle United FC.

Last year Stelling and close friend – and former Hartlepool Chief Executive - Russ Green walked 10 marathons in 10 days from Victoria Park, home of the League Two club to Wembley, a place Pools have never been. Along the way he was joined by famous friends and colleagues and people affected by prostate cancer and he raised more than £420,000.

His epic amble down the country was the subject of an emotional Sky documentary, Stelling’s March to the Arch, and, inspired by 10 unforgettable days, the 61-year-old revealed an even bigger challenge to the audience of Soccer Saturday at the weekend.

Starting in Devon on Friday 2 June, Jeff’s March for Men - prostatecanceruk.org/jeffsmarch – will see the Sky stalwart walk 400 miles from the South West to the North East with the symmetrical stroll starting at St James Park, home of the Grecians, and ending at the Magpies’ St James’ Park a fortnight later.

Clocking in at 400 miles, Jeff’s journey will see him visit more than 40 football clubs, heading up the west of England via Bristol and Stoke and through the northern footballing hotbeds of Merseyside and Manchester, before cutting across the country and ending at the home of Championship high flyers Newcastle. Of course, his boyhood club, Hartlepool United will be en route and he will also start the final day at Durham County Cricket Club.

The mega event is part of Prostate Cancer UK’s wider walking programme, March for Men, which includes a trio of Local Walks across Father’s Day weekend, in London on June 17th and Leeds and Glasgow 24 hours later. The charity will also be encouraging supporters to hold their own marches to try and raise £1 million through walking in 2017.

This money will have a huge impact on the lives of those affected by prostate cancer and will help bring us one step closer to stopping prostate cancer being a killer.

Stelling said: “After the agony and ecstasy of the walk last year, particularly the agony, so many people have been in touch with stories of their battle against prostate cancer, so many people who wanted to say thank you to me, to Russ Green, and to Prostate Cancer UK for their support.

“It makes me feel very humble but it also makes me feel very gratified that I’m in position where I can do something. Prostate Cancer kills one man ever hour in the UK, andI just decided I couldn’t sit on my backside and do nothing about it. I can put one foot in front of the next and hopefully raise awareness and raise funds to help men beat this diabolical disease.

“We also wanted a fresh route and because they shared the same ground name, we thought we would see how far it was between Exeter and Newcastle, and it’s worked out well. Crucially, it gives us that opportunity to go to parts of the country that we’ve not been to before to get our message over to people who maybe didn’t hear that message as loudly last time round. So that will be in the West Country, starting down in Exeter we’ll be heading north relentlessly and ending in St James’ Park one of the great football grounds, where I know we will get a fantastic welcome from all Geordies.”

Prostate Cancer UK is the Official Charity Partner of The English Football League (EFL) and 22 clubs will be represented along the route, through the heartlands of England.

Stelling will also stop off at eight Premier League clubs as well as 11 Non-League sides with the final day on Friday 16 June kicking off at the Emirates Riverside, home of Durham County Cricket club.

Prostate Cancer UK Chief Executive Angela Culhane, who walked the final marathon, and more than 50 miles during last year’s walk, said: "After his heroic efforts last year, I’m proud and delighted to welcome back Jeff Stelling for his second March for Men for Prostate Cancer UK.

“His road to Wembley last year was long and winding, and a massive challenge both physically and mentally, but it was a truly ‘unbelievable’ achievement which raised a huge amount of awareness not to mention vital funds in the fight against this deadly disease.

“So many people approached Jeff on the walk to speak about their own courageous battles with prostate cancer, and the fact that they were able to stroll side by side with household names from sport, show business and politics established this as a charity walk like no other.

“This time we will be visiting different areas of the country and some legendary football clubs as Jeff continues to spread the word – and of course he will be bringing some big names along. We look forward to meeting more inspirational people along the way.

“Ignoring prostate cancer will not beat it. But Jeff’s epic efforts have helped wake men up to the need to take action. Thanks to the more than £420,000 raised to date, we can fund more ground-breaking research to fight back against the disease. It will also help us provide dedicated support and information to men and their families and make prostate cancer a disease the next generation of men need not fear.”

To support Jeff, and find out more about his challenge, visit prostatecanceruk.org/jeffsmarch.

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NOTES TO EDITOR

For more information, please contact Gary Haines, Sport PR Manager at Prostate Cancer UK, on 020 3310 7079 or at gary.haines@prostatecanceruk.org.

About March for Men

March for Men brings people together throughout the UK to celebrate the lives of those who’ve beaten prostate cancer and to remember those who have been lost to the disease. March for Men provides an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends, whilst raising funds for vital research, which will stop prostate cancer being a killer. The charity aims to raise £1million through the programme which is made up of four key events.

Averaging 15 walking marathons in 15 days, Jeff’s March for Men will take him 400 miles from Exeter City FC to Newcastle United FC from June 2-16, 2017. Along the route he will also be joined by club chairs, chief executives, managers, League Manager’s Association members, former players and commercial sponsors to raise further awareness and funds.

Three Local Walks, held over circa 2.5km, 5km and 10km will take place across Father’s Day weekend, in London on June 17th and Leeds and Glasgow 24 hours later. The London walk will be held at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 1DY, Roundhay Park, LS8 2HH, will host the Leeds event. The Glasgow March for Men will be held at Pollok Country Park, G43 1AT

The charity will also be encouraging supporters to hold their own marches to try and raise £1 million through walking in 2017.

Money raised will be used to help ‘shift the science’ and crack the three core issues of diagnosis, treatment and prevention which have been left unsolved for too long. It will have a huge impact on the lives of those affected by the disease and will help bring us one step closer to stopping prostate cancer being a killer.

Jeff’s route and dates is below (and regional statistics on prostate cancer are available on request).

oTo support Jeff, and find out more about his challenge, visit prostatecanceruk.org/jeffsmarch

About Prostate Cancer UK

• Prostate Cancer UK has a simple ambition – to stop men dying from prostate cancer.
• As the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer continues to rise (making it the most common of all cancers by 2030), now is the time to take control. Through shifting the science over the next 10 years to focus on radical improvements in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and support, we will stop prostate cancer being a killer.
• Ignoring prostate cancer won’t beat it, so join the fight.

Key Headline Statistics

• More than 11,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year – that's one man every hour.
• It’s the most common cancer in men, with over 330,000 living with and after the disease in the UK.
• Prostate cancer is set to become the most commonly diagnosed cancer of all in the UK by 2030 - which is why we must all act now to curb its power to kill.
• Men over 50, black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer all face a higher than average risk of the disease.
• Prostate cancer treatment often causes devastating, long term side-effects. Incontinence and erectile dysfunction strike at the heart of what it means to be a man.
• Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service: www.prostatecanceruk.org/. The Specialist Nurse phone service is free to landlines and open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays.
• Visit prostatecanceruk.org now to help beat this disease.

About The EFL’s Official Charity Partnership with Prostate Cancer UK

• With 330,000 men – enough to fill Wembley Stadium almost three and a half times over - living with the disease in the UK, the partnership will help to increase awareness of the disease and help raise funds so that more men survive it and enjoy a better quality of life.
• Prostate Cancer UK – the Official Charity Partner of The EFL – aims to reach millions of football supporters through engagement activity across football grounds to raise awareness of the disease which now affects 1 in 8 men in the UK, that's a death rate of more than 11,000 deaths a year. As well as raising awareness of the disease, the official partnership will help to raise funds so that more men survive it and enjoy a better quality of life. Prostate Cancer UK aims to galvanise the football community and inspire a movement for change in men’s health to win the battle against prostate cancer once and for all.

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