** Mark sadly passed away on Friday 2nd July 2021.

Mark will be greatly missed and forever loved by his wife Alison and children, Charles and Georgina.

Mark will be remembered for his positivity, good humour, sense of fun, generosity, calmness and sound advice.

He made the lives of everyone he knew brighter and was an amazing, inspirational man. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and is irreplaceable.

We are reopening this page so that donations to the charity can continue.**

May 2017 I was fitter than I had been since school days. Running 5km every weekend and doing 10km runs in training during the week. Then in June a routine check found bowel cancer. Surgery later that month, chemotherapy from July until January, another operation in February 2018. Cancer free confirmed by my surgeon in June this year. I was so lucky.

Lots of men and women, the numbers succumbing are roughly equal, aren’t as lucky as me. The symptoms aren’t spotted or the screening offered is not taken up (about a third of NHS checks aren’t returned). Awareness of the symptoms needs to be raised. 

Research into the causes and  cures must carry on, and needs funding. The incidence is increasing. Why? Funding is needed to find out.

I realise that I am cancer free, at the present, and who knows what the future will bring, but every donation that can be given to Bowel Cancer UK will help more people to be as lucky as me.

For a moving story, search George Alaghia, the BBC newsreader. He is having a really rough time with bowel cancer, and if there had been more awareness and screening.... who knows.

Oh. Why the walk? My friend Andrew and I decided on this whilst I was in hospital after the first operation. My feet started disintegrating during chemotherapy meaning that we have only managed one practice walk of under 20 miles. But I see myself as lucky. Walking a marathon every day for a week will definitely not be easy, but if I can help raise awareness so that someone else is as lucky as me, fantastic.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.