As some of you may know, following my diagnosis with rectal cancer in January 2010, I received a second opinion from Professor Malcolm Dunlop at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

Prof Dunlop was able to offer a surgical procedure which avoided the need for me to have a permanent colostomy (which was the procedure being proposed in N.Ireland) and subsequently he operated on me in Edinburgh in July 2010.

I'm very grateful to my brother Alan, who facilitated the second opinion and to Prof Dunlop who carried out this difficult surgical procedure.

Nearly two years on I'm delighted to report that I'm 100% healthy and am literally running for my life........being told that regular exercise reduces the chance of recurrence by 40% is a fair incentive to keep up the running regime!

This year Ali and I are joining Alan's Edinburgh Marathon relay team running 5.5 and 8.6 miles respectively. Whilst we're running under the auspices of a charity Alan is involved with - Prostate Scotland (we're 50% of his team) - the proportion of the monies that Ali and I raise will be donated to support Professor Dunlop's Colorectal Research at Edinburgh University which hopefully will help other people like me and a proportion will go to Prostate Scotland another worthy cause.

We'd be very grateful for any support you can give.

Mike and Ali