General Manager Michelle Campbell, Catering Manager Sara Martin and Hospitality Coordinator Maddy Clarke are hoping to raise £5,000 by completing the world’s biggest half marathon course on Sunday.

Michelle, 56, from Ripon said: “Wetherby Racecourse have worked with Spinal Research for over 34 years on our annual ‘Northern Charity Raceday’ which was started by Rachel Wright, a Yorkshire Point to Point rider, who sustained a spinal injury in a riding accident when she was just 21.

“We’ve been so inspired by the wonderful people we’ve met through the Spinal Research raceday including those directly impacted by a spinal cord injury, their families and friends.

“Everyone here was also absolutely devastated by the life-changing spinal injury sustained earlier this year by Graham Lee, who was a regular at Wetherby Racecourse during his many years as a jump jockey and latterly over the flat course.

“So, that will be our inspiration when we are trying to run 13.2 miles this weekend. We’ve been really touched by how much the racing community has got behind us and we hope to raise as much as we can to help people like Graham.”

Every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed after a spinal cord injury. It can happen to anyone at any time with devastating consequences.

Spinal Research is the UK’s leading charity funding medical research around the world to develop effective treatments for paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury.

Chief Executive Louisa McGinn said: “We have a brilliant partnership over many years with Wetherby and Yorkshire racegoers who have done so much to help us fund vital research. We are so grateful to Michelle, Maddy and Sara for literally going those extra miles for us.

“We’re now in touching distance of function restoring treatments for people paralysed after a spinal cord injury and we’re so appreciate of every single donation that brings our vision of curing paralysis a step closer.”

This year’s Northern Raceday for Spinal Research will take place on Wednesday, October 16, when special guest will be top eventer Nicola Wilson. The Team GB multi-medalist at the Olympics, World and European Championships was in the world’s top ten when she suffered a career-ending, serious spinal cord injury at the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials.

Nicola was in intensive care for three weeks after sustaining multiple spinal fractures and was initially paralysed from the neck down. Although she has learnt to walk again, she still suffers from the effects of her injury including central cord syndrome, which causes a loss of sensation and movement in her hands.

Nicola, a Spinal Research Ambassador, is now coaching and mentoring the next generation of talented riders at her North Yorkshire equestrian centre.

The AJ Bell Great North Run is the world’s biggest half marathon, with 60,000 runners taking on the 13.1-mile route from Newcastle to South Shields on Sunday, September 8.

You can support Michelle, Maddy and Sara by going to their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/team/wetherbyraces and to buy tickets for the Northern Charity Raceday at Wetherby Racecourse go to www.wetherbyracing.co.uk