Southsea teacher laces up running shoes to honour father at Great South Run
A teacher from Southsea will be lacing up his running shoes to take on the Great South Run in memory of his father who died suddenly last year.
Adam Playford, 33, will be taking part to remember his father, Gary, who passed away in July 2024 following complications from heart disease and respiratory failure. Gary was 65.
Prior to his death, Gary’s had lived with angina for ten years. But nothing prepared the family for the suddenness of his final days. Just two weeks before his passing, Gary stood proudly as a witness at Adam’s wedding. “He was on top form,” Adam says. “You would never have guessed that within a fortnight he’d be gone.
“When I look back, I think how lucky we were. We had the day of our dreams, and Dad was there to be a huge part of it. If we’d married a little later, he wouldn’t have been there.”
Gary who had been married for nearly 40 years, was working for Toyota selling forklifts at the time of his death. The father-of-two had been preparing to step away from the role, but tragically never got the chance to enjoy his retirement.
“If I have one overriding memory of Dad it’s that he was a storyteller,” says Adam. “He had served in the Navy for six years and travelled all over the world. He loved nothing more than pulling people in with tales of his adventures that usually involved him getting into some sort of bother.”
After Gary’s death, the family chose to support the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in lieu of funeral flowers. Now, Adam is taking that tribute further by running the Great South Run on October 19 to raise funds and awareness for the BHF’s life-saving work.
“Dad was a very charitable person who always looked to help others, so I think he would love to know that I was doing this run in his memory,” says Adam. “Losing Dad was a really difficult time for our family, so I want to try and help stop other families suffering the same experience.”
Adam will join hundreds of other BHF runners in the 10-mile event, which is expected to attract 25,000 participants from around the world.
In 2023, the BHF was named the official charity partner of the AJ Bell Great Run Series. Now in its second year, the partnership helps fund vital heart research across the UK.
Emma Hulland, Events Manager at the BHF, said: “It’s very moving to see Adam’s determination to honour his dad. Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners and the commitment of people like Adam we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has the potential to revolutionise treatment and transform lives.”
People can support Adam’s fundraising online: ajbellgreatsouthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/adam-playford.