SUPPORTERS RUN FOR RESEARCH

Despite missing six weeks of training after he suffered a stroke, Paul Weller crossed the finish line in just over six hours. His determination to complete the challenge was inspired by his stepmum Jenny Weller, who died in May 2022 after being diagnosed with 14 brain tumours in 18 months.

Our Communications Officer, Alexa Copson, also ran the marathon after getting a coveted place in the ballot. She completed the course in 4:41:07 and raised nearly £1,500 for the Charity.

Kate Neale decided to take on the challenge as part of her 60th birthday celebrations. She ran three marathons in six months –an impressive feat!

“I believe in you mate”

On Sunday 23rd April, 50,000 runners and thousands more spectators took to the streets of England’s capital for the 2023 TCS London Marathon.

A team of more than 90 Brain Tumour Research supporters braved the rain and raised an incredible £361,211 at the time of writing – the equivalent cost of almost 132 days of research at a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence. For many, it was a cause close to their heart having been affected by this devastating disease.

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to continue to fund long-term, life-saving research

One in three know someone affected by a brain tumour

A devastating loss also inspired Frank Lee to take on his first marathon, which he finished in under five hours. He lost his 15-year-old son, Frank James, to a glioblastoma (GBM) in 2019 and is already eyeing up his next challenge because he wants to do “everything I can to stop this disease”.

Despite vowing she would never run a marathon again, Jennifer Graham ticked this “iconic” event off her bucket list. She lost her brother-in-law, James Flint, to the disease last year.

Nine-year-old Layla Miller was diagnosed with two low-grade pilocytic astrocytomas in February 2021. Inspired by her journey, Layla’s uncle, Mitchell, took on the 26.2-mile route and finished in an impressive 3:50:52, raising more than £8,000 Suki Sandhu lost both his cousin Sarinder ‘Shindi’ Sangha and brother-in-law Aman Sumal to GBM less than two years apart. The London Marathon was the culmination of three fundraisers Suki has done to raise more than £7,000

“I believe in you mate” – those were the words of encouragement fitness guru Joe Wicks had for brain tumour patient Sam Suriakumar during his training. Sam took on the marathon along with his brothers-in-law, Niro Nirmalan and Ahilan Anpananthar, and the trio raised more than £14,000

Three-year-old Roux Owen was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour when he was just four weeks old. His dad, Antony, said he felt “really proud” of his efforts which saw him cross the finish line in 4:22:05 and raise more than £6,000, adding that seeing his wife, Amy, and eldest son, Noah, on the day gave him a “huge boost”.

Thank you to everyone who ran the London Marathon for Brain Tumour Research and raised vital funds and awareness to help find a cure.

We’d love to welcome you to our Fighting Force team! Contact Carol, our National Events Manager, to find out more: arol@braintumourresearch.org