Woman told she may never walk again brings 5,000km challenge to Wakefield

Endurance athlete Esmée Gummer will arrive in the city on Wednesday (August 5) as part of her bid to set a Guinness World Record for hosting the most consecutive free 5K events.

She is travelling through all 77 cities in the UK and Ireland in 99 days, covering almost 5,000km on foot and hosting a free community 5K in every city.

The challenge is deeply personal. At 18, Esmée was paralysed from the waist down following complications during a routine operation and was told she might never walk again.

She went on to relearn how to walk, dance and run before completing marathons and ultra-endurance challenges.

She said: "Every single 5K along this route has been about showing up for people, whatever hogweed, hills or bad weather gets in the way.

"Going for this record isn't really about me – it's proof that a community can turn up, every single time, for each other. If we can do that 77 times in a row, imagine what we can do for good."

Wakefield's free event takes place at 7pm on Wednesday at Wakefield Thornes parkrun. Anyone can join by running, jogging, walking or wheeling the route. There is no entry fee and no race number.

By the time she reaches Wakefield, Esmée will be closing in on 2,000km covered on foot.

The challenge has not been without setbacks. Earlier in the journey, Esmée suffered burns after coming into contact with giant hogweed while running along canal paths and country lanes, but continued with the challenge.

The Nation's 5K challenge aims to inspire one million people to move while raising money for Wings for Life, Sport in Mind, parkrun and charities chosen by a public vote.

In 2023, Esmée founded The Say Yes Club, a weekly, no-pressure walk, jog and run 5K in East London. The community event provided the blueprint for The Nation's 5K, with Esmée aiming to encourage people to take part regardless of pace, age or experience.

People can support Esmée's challenge by donating via her GoFundMe page.