A Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) paramedic from Durham is preparing to run the Great North Run while carrying a 16kg rescue manikin. Jake Gunn, 40, has set himself the challenge for the half-marathon in September, hoping to raise £1,000 for the charity.
Previous running challenges
Gunn joined GNAAS's critical care team in 2021 after working as a specialist paramedic at the North East Ambulance Service. He is no stranger to unusual running feats. In 2022, he took part in the Great North Run for the first time, wearing the charity's helicopter mascot costume, Ellie Copter. That race was both his inaugural Great North Run and his first half-marathon.
Two years later, he ran the event again, this time dressed in a flight suit and carrying a 10kg training bag. Despite wind and rain that soaked his uniform, he finished alongside approximately 60,000 other runners.
Training with a weighted vest
This year, Gunn will carry a rescue manikin over his shoulders. The manikin weighs 16kg, but this can rise to more than 20kg when wet. He has already begun training with a weighted vest.
Explaining the equipment, Gunn said: “The rescue manikin is used for training purposes, including when we carry out simulation exercises. They are a bit tougher than the more human-looking manikins that you may have encountered, as they are made with a durable material and are packed with cloth to simulate a human body, which you can lift, drag or extricate, depending on the scenario.”
He added: “I'm pretty inspired day to day by all the work everyone does for our incredibly special charity, and me doing these daft challenges and raising some money feels like I'm helping to do my bit.”
Supporting a life-saving service
On his JustGiving page, Gunn praised the air ambulance service, writing: "Our amazing charity provides a life-saving helicopter emergency service, delivering rapid medical care to people in critical need across the North and the Isle of Man."
The organisation operates two helicopters 365 days a year, covering more than 8,000 square miles, with specialist doctors and paramedics on board who bring the hospital to the patient. Since 2002, GNAAS has responded to more than 30,000 incidents across the region. The charity is entirely reliant on donations and must raise £9.6m a year to remain operational.
