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Bristol student with narcolepsy to do 70km charity run

EPA A boy in a blue t-shirt smiling at the cameraEPA
Freddie Dowland and his friends will run 70 km to raise awareness of narcolepsy

A student with narcolepsy will need to take several naps as he and five friends complete a 43mile (70km) run.

The friends, who all study at the University of Bristol, are running from Bristol to Cardiff to raise money for the charities Mind and Narcolepsy UK.

Freddie Dowland, 21, said: "I never thought I'd be able to run a half marathon, let alone this."

They are also hoping to raise awareness of the condition which causes extreme tiredness.

Mr Dowland set off at 06:00 GMT on Saturday with his friends from their shared house in Bristol to run to Cardiff Castle. Their families will be waiting at the finish line.

Along the way Mr Dowland will need to sleep three or four times in the support car following them.

University of Bristol/PA Wire 6 students in running gearUniversity of Bristol/PA Wire
Freddie Dowland and his friends will run from Bristol to Cardiff Castle

Mr Dowland was 11 when he started getting "uncontrollable" bouts of tiredness and was told he had the incurable conditions of narcolepsy and cataplexy.

People with narcolepsy experience extreme tiredness and 'sleep attacks', where they fall asleep unexpectedly. Cataplexy, which often accompanies narcolepsy, is sudden muscular weakness triggered by strong emotions such as laughter or surprise.

"It was one of the hardest periods of my life," Mr Dowland recalls.

"I was put on all sorts of drugs, with some bad side effects. My life changed completely and I spent most of my time napping."

'Oblivious to narcolepsy'

Mr Dowland manages his conditions with medication, scheduled naps and healthy lifestyle choices, which means he is now thriving at the University of Bristol, where he studies geography with innovation.

His university friends said they have seen first hand how the conditions affect him.

Joe Hughes, who studies economics and finance, said he was "oblivious to narcolepsy" when he first met Mr Dowland.

"It wasn't an uncommon sight to see Freddie doze off in social settings," he said.

"I speak for the whole group when I say our admiration for how he doesn't let his condition restrict his life has spurred us on with our training for this run."

The runners hope to raise £3,000 for their chosen charities.

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