A man from Soham is urging the public to test their endurance and Race the Tide to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

James Hall, 33, is reaching out to the public to get involved in the 100km race from the Scottish borders to Lidisfarne after witnessing the effect dementia has had on his Mother, Anne, after she was diagnosed with the disease in 2012.

James said: “I was in my early teens when mum started to display unusual behaviour. She had vertigo and wouldn’t go up the stairs in our house. Then later she developed agoraphobia and refused to go out for 10 years. Mum was eventually diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2012, aged only 58.

“Mum’s been in care for a couple of years now and, thankfully, she seems happy. When we visit her she laughs and jokes but we struggle to make sense of what she’s saying. Funnily enough she can sing along clearly to songs on the radio. But we know that Mum’s dementia will progress and we’ll face some big challenges down the line.

“Dementia is a horrible condition which affects entire families and I want to do everything I can to help Alzheimer’s Research UK defeat it. I think Race the Tide is an excellent one of a kind event which gives people the opportunity to really challenge themselves whilst raising funds for a very important cause.”

This year, Alzheimer’s Research UK has teamed up with Discover Adventure to offer supporters the chance to take part in Race the Tide, a trek along the spectacular St Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose in the Scottish Borders to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Part of the route is over a causeway which will be cut off by the tide, meaning participants have only 30 hours to complete the challenge.

The event, which will take place on 10 and 11 September, will see each participant pledging to raise at least £400 each for pioneering dementia research. In the run-up to the challenge, those taking part will receive regular updates to guide them through their training and preparation for the event.

Steve Frost, Head of Corporate Fundraising at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Race the Tide promises to be a fantastic event for people who are looking for a big challenge, and we hope to see lots of people join us to support our pioneering research. Every penny raised will be able to help provide vital equipment and resources for our scientists, bringing new treatments, preventions and a cure for dementia ever closer.

“With 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and 8,000 of those in Cambridgeshire alone, the need for research to defeat the condition has never been more urgent. Our scientists are leading the way in the search for new treatments, but we rely on the public to be able to fund this work. I hope anyone seeking a challenge for 2016 will consider signing up to Race the Tide, to help support our vital research.”

For more information about Race the Tide and to sign up to take part, visit arukracethetide.org or call 0300 111 5 777. Registration fees, which help to cover the cost of the event, are £50.