South Shields runner completes coast to coast challenge in memory of friend Robbie Robson

A South Shields man has raised over £13,000 for Emmaus, North East in memory of his friend Robbie Robson.

39-year-old Andrew Quinn, ran five marathons in five days, covering the full coast to coast route, starting in Whitehaven, Cumbria and ending in South Shields.

Quinn decided to take on the challenge as a way to fundraise for an important cause in his friends’ name, who was tragically killed on a Qatari oil rig in December 2022. 

Robson was beaten to death by his roomate and colleague Scott Forrest. Forrest was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for 10 years. 

Quinn said: “We ran in Robbie’s memory, because we wanted to raise money in his name for a local charity that we know he would have supported. 

“We also wanted to do something positive in his name, as his mother gave a strong speech at his funeral about making sure we use Robbie’s death in a positive way in our lives, to spend time with friends and family, and do things that we want to do. 

“Running coast to coast is something that I’ve always wanted to do, and I thought this is the reason to do it.”

Quinn ran a marathon a day, stopping off at Keswick, Penrith, Allenheads and Consett before finishing the challenge in his hometown of South Shields.

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He was joined by many others of Robbie’s friends, which made up a running ‘crew’ and a bike ‘crew’. 

Quinn explained: “I had a different runner join me every day for the first four days, then I had around six cyclists join in. On the last day around 60 people joined me, both on bikes and running.”

The marathon ended at The Sand Dancer in South Shields, where Quinn was applauded by around 300 hundred people, who had come to meet him at the finish line. 

“It was mad. I didn't expect that at all,” Quinn said. 

“The reception and the welcome home we got was beyond anything we could have imagined.”

Quinn trained for seven months prior to coast to coast, and wanted to send the message to his children that you can achieve anything you set out to do.

Despite setting a target to raise £5,000 for Emmaus, North East, a local homeless charity which provides support, funded training, work experience and more to formerly homeless people, Quinn actually raised over £13k, with donations from over 500 people.

Quinn said: “We never expected to get anywhere near that. The support we had was amazing.”

Quinn and other friends of Robbie’s would like to take on further challenges in the future, to continue to remember Robbie in a positive way.