My Story

In January 2024 Mark Learmouth was struck down with a rare neurological disorder that brought him to the brink of death. While recovering in hospital in April Mark watched the London Marathon, and decided that he would use the race to motivate him to get fit again.

Now Mark, 34, an Advanced Pharmacist Practitioner at Sunderland Royal Hospital is preparing to run the London Marathon in April 2025, and as extra motivation mark is working with the University of Sunderland to raise money to give young students the chance of the sort of fulfilling career Mark is now enjoying.

Mark graduated from the University of Sunderland with his pharmacy degree in 2014, and returned there to study for his Master’s in Clinical Pharmacy. It was a long-held dream for Mark to help others, inspired by his mother, Joy, who also qualified as a pharmacist at Sunderland, in 1979.

Mark says: “When I was 15 I started working in a Saturday job in community pharmacy alongside my mother. I decided that pharmacy was the career for me too.

“She had studied at Sunderland, so I started studying there too, and a year after I started my sister Jemma also started at the university studying psychology.

“The University were amazingly supportive, and let us graduate together. It was a really special moment for our family.”

Mark returned to Sunderland to study for his MSc, and went on to gain his dream job as an Advanced Pharmacist Practitioner, but it all came crashing down when he was struck down by rare neurological disorder earlier this year.

“I came down with an extremely rare condition called Guillan Barre syndrome which completely paralysed me,” says Mark. “I almost died on two occasions this resulted in a three month stay in hospital.

“It was during my time in a rehab hospital that I decided to set a goal for myself of running the London marathon. I applied, but unfortunately I was unsuccessful.”

Fortunately Mark had kept in touch with the University over the years, and he read in the University Alumni newsletter that the University’s Development Office had a single place at the London Marathon, running for the Futures Fund.

The Futures Fund was established by the University’s Development Office to support students to develop their careers and aspirations. It was the perfect fit for Mark, and he successfully applied to be the University of Sunderland’s first ever official representative at the London Marathon.

“When the Development Office contacted me I thought it would be a fantastic way to give back to the University that's given me so much.

“I hope that it will be able to give the same fantastic education myself and my family have received so that other students can go on to have rewarding careers.”

Georgie Cox, Head of Alumni and Development at the University, says: “We are incredibly proud to support Mark as he takes on the challenge of running the TCS London Marathon next year. His commitment to the University of Sunderland is truly inspiring and will raise vital funds for our scholarship programme empowering students to reach their full potential.

“We encourage everyone to join us in supporting Mark on this incredible journey as together, through every mile, we can help create amazing opportunities for our students”.

You can follow Mark’s journey and sponsor him by going to https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/mark-learmouth