Ben Shephard is preparing for one of the biggest races of his life – but his focus will be firmly on getting best friend Chris Kamara across the finish line. This Morning host Ben, 42, will take on the Great North Run alongside former footballer Kammy. For Kammy, 68, the half-marathon represents quite a challenge. After being diagnosed with apraxia, a neurological condition which has affected his speech, balance and movement, he has had to relearn skills many take for granted, including running.
A New Stage in Kammy's Journey
Ben said his friend’s decision to take on the race represents another step in rebuilding his confidence. “He’s faced some of his scariest opponents on the football pitch, and now this is his biggest opponent,” Ben said. “The way I see it, Sunday is the next stage. He’s taking the fight to the apraxia, showing who’s boss.”
Ben believes the challenge is helping Kammy rediscover his confidence after his health issues left him reconsidering his identity. He was also diagnosed with an underactive thyroid after suffering brain fog so severe he thought he had Alzheimer’s.
“He won’t be the Kammy that we all saw 10 or 15 years ago,” says Ben. “But he’s this new improved version of Kammy in many ways, who’s embracing every moment and living life to the full, loving being around his grandkids, having as many experiences as possible, still busy working and, importantly, smiling.”
Relearning to Run
It has not been an easy journey to get Kammy in shape for the half-marathon. Despite playing more than 800 games for Brentford, Leeds, Bradford City and more before moving into broadcasting, his condition has taken quite a toll on him physically. “I hadn’t really fully appreciated it, but he’s had to teach himself how to run again,” said Ben. “He had to work out how to walk really carefully but he hadn’t done any running. He set this challenge, and he’s worked incredibly hard at re-patterning running into his physiology.”
“Kammy’s life was as a professional sportsman, so his body was his business. Being physically fit and healthy as an elite sportsman, to suddenly have your health and your body changing in a way where it alters how you have to live and work – that has a huge impact on your identity.”
To keep him going, Ben will run the course at his side with Chris’ son Jack, 37, on his other shoulder. “We’ll be keeping him going and holding him up, but we’re also going to make sure we make it to the end enjoying the experience,” said Ben.
Raising Funds for Prostate Cancer UK
The pair became close after Chris went public with his health issues on Good Morning Britain in 2022 when Ben was hosting. After striking up a firm friendship, they went on to do a podcast, TV shows and even a live theatre tour together, which Chris had never thought possible when he left Sky Sports in 2022 due to his speech issues.
They are raising money for Prostate Cancer UK, a cause close to Ben’s heart after his father was diagnosed with the disease. In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50, with risk increasing with age. The risk is even higher for Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer.
Ben recalls sitting in a pub with school friends when one revealed his father had been diagnosed. He said: “Another one said, ‘Mine has, too.’ And then I said, ‘Mine has, too.’ “All three of us sort of hit that period in their life when suddenly it’s become prevalent. Our dads were lucky because they were able to catch it early.”
Ben’s father had brachytherapy, in which radioactive sources are placed inside the prostate to treat the cancer. But the experience affected the whole family. Dad-of-two Ben remembers his father being particularly concerned about holding his new grandson. He said: “He didn’t want to cuddle Sam, thinking, ‘I don’t want this to have any impact on Sam.’ “Prostate cancer is still so tangible. It’s a massively important cause. If we can sort of raise a little bit of money and a little bit of attention for more people to talk about it, we’ll have done what we are trying to do.”
Kammy recently shared with the Mirror that he had a scare after a recent PSA test, which looks for signs of prostate cancer in the blood. After further monitoring and checks, doctors confirmed he did not have the disease. And Ben praised his friend for being so open about his health issues. “Kammy is a trailblazer in many ways and in a lot of what he does,” he said. “Stereotypically, men don’t talk about how they are feeling medically and ignore things because it’s easier to get on with life and not do it... and then suddenly there are issues along the way. If talking about it helps just one person, then you’ve done an amazing thing.”
Training and Expectations
The trio will be joining 63,000 other racegoers taking part this year, making it one of the UK’s largest mass-participation running events. Thousands of spectators will also line the route to cheer on the runners as they make their way from Newcastle to the finish line at South Shields. Ben, who is a fitness fanatic, says Kammy has been putting him to shame with his training.
With just a week to go, he said: “He keeps sending me Strava routes and how far he’d gone and how long it had taken him. It makes me want to go out and do it. I find him really inspiring. I’ve sort of been trying to match him mile for mile, but he’s trained harder than I have for this. “He went on holiday to Tenerife the other week with his wife and he basically turned it into a fitness camp! “I think Jack, Kammy’s son, doesn’t realise he’s going to be dragging two of us round!”
“Kammy said to us initially, ‘I want to try and do it in 3 hours,’ and then he said the other day, ‘I think I can do it in two and a half.’ I mean, the fact he’s knocked half an hour off, that’s really ramped up the pressure!”
The much-loved star’s popularity, mainly from his days on Sky’s Soccer Saturday, will present an extra challenge for the trio. Ben said: “Kammy likes to stop and talk, and there’s a lot of people on that course!”
For now, Ben is trying not to think about the finish line but he knows what reaching the beachfront ending will mean. “It’ll be a huge moment and a massive achievement for us to have done it together,” he said. “We can put our feet up, and hopefully have a pint before I have to head back down south.”
Kammy says: "Crossing that finish line is going to be better than winning the World Cup. Over these last six weeks or so, I’ve learned to run properly all over again. Because of my condition, I had to learn to walk heel-toe. But running is all about your toes and your balance. It’s something you can never imagine, you know. From being a kid, you run everywhere as soon as you can walk. I was getting injuries all the way along when I was trying to jog. So, what I’ve had to do is try to build my calf and thigh muscles up, so they can help with the balance and compensate for my lack of ability to stay on my feet stable. But come hell or high water, I’ll get to the end on Sunday. I was so worried about coming down the banks and hills in the North East. So what I’d hoped was to have Ben on one arm and my son Jack on the other arm to keep me stable. I never refuse an autograph, but I hope that if anyone asks me on race day they’ll understand that if I don’t stop to talk, it’s not because of not wanting to. I thought my running days were over. This challenge has been great for my mind, my fitness, and my strength. I’ve forgotten about chasing the person I was and learned to accept the person I am. But really I’m doing this for Prostate Cancer UK. Get tested. It’s so important."
Chris, Ben and Jack are running for Prostate Cancer UK at the AJ Bell Great North Run, raising funds for better treatments and tests for men, and helping to move one step closer to a national screening programme for all men and saving thousands of lives. To sponsor #TeamKammy, visit ajbellgreatnorthrun2026.enthuse.com/pf/chris-kamara-gnr2026.
