Olympic sprinter Beth Dobbin battles severe ME, spends most of day in bed

Beth Dobbin, who ran for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics, now spends more than 22 hours each day in bed after being diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), a chronic illness marked by severe fatigue, brain fog and pain. She attributes the onset to back-to-back Covid and glandular-fever infections in the winter of 2021-22, which gradually worsened despite attempts to continue competing in world, Commonwealth and European championships.

Specialists eventually identified her condition as ME, a disease with no known cure and limited NHS provision, forcing her to wait 22 months for a private appointment after funding ended. Dobbin’s family provides daily care but feels helpless, noting the lack of research and specialist services. To draw attention and funds, her sister Faye will run the Yorkshire Marathon for ME Research UK, while Dobbin hopes increased awareness from long-Covid research will eventually lead to better treatments.