Update – 30 March 2025

As you will read below (in my original post), my big challenge started in April 2023, all supporting Young Lives vs Cancer. Initially, the challenge was to run three of the world’s major marathons (for a 100kg fat lad, that’s a big thing), but this quickly grew to five, then seven and now nine marathons, with eight of them being world majors. Along the way, I’ve knocked an hour off my personal best, which is now 3:50:08, and 2024 alone saw me run over 2000 miles in training, and I’m still a 100kg fat lad……!!!!!!

In December 2024, our world once again came crashing down; a routine blood test picked up that Harry’s cancer had returned; he’s responded really well to initial treatment and will receive a Bone Marrow Transplant in early April at Great Ormond Street.

When Harry relapsed, I stopped running and decided to pull out of all the upcoming events I had planned, but family and friends told me not to make any rash decisions. I was due to complete my current challenge by running the 2025 Boston Marathon, and I’d be lying if I said this did not play on my mind, as I’d worked so hard to get a place; but at the same time, I felt extremely selfish for even thinking about running.

In January, a friend asked what got me into running; I quickly replied that I wanted to raise awareness and support Young Lives vs Cancer, so in 2017, I signed up to run the Torbay Half Marathon. While every challenge I’ve undertaken since has pushed me personally, the main aim has always been to raise awareness and support Young Lives vs Cancer. With the date looming to commit to the Boston Marathon, I realised, now more than ever, the importance of supporting this amazing charity and the work they do helping young people and families who find themselves going through this horrible nightmare that is cancer.

So, to complete Russell’s big challenge, I will run the Boston Marathon on the 21st April, before joining Team Young Lives to run the London Marathon six days later (Three marathons became nine!!!).

Thank you in advance for all your support.

Big love,

Russ

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Update – 26 September 2024

Not wanting the challenge to end, I’ve added a few more marathons……….. (Three became Seven World Major Marathons and one extra!)

29th September – Berlin Marathon

1st December – Valencia Marathon

21st April – Boston Marathon

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Russell’s Big Challenge (Three became Five World Majors)

2023/2024 will see me take on my biggest challenge to date in support of Young Lives vs Cancer, running five of the world's major marathons. The challenge kicks off in April, running in London, Berlin in September, Chicago in October, New York in November and finishing on the 3rd March in Tokyo as well as running in several smaller events in between

23rd April – London Marathon

24th September – Berlin Marathon

8th October – Chicago Marathon

5th November – New York Marathon

3rd March – Tokyo Marathon

So why Young Live vs Cancer?

As many of you will already know, our son Harry has faced cancer twice.

It began on the 7th April 2016 when Harry was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation to stem a bleed in his nose. I was working away but was reassured by one of the doctors that it was a routine procedure and that all would be fine. Unfortunately, a few hours later, the same doctor advised me that I should return to the UK as soon as possible, as Harry had been diagnosed with leukaemia.

His diagnosis knocked our family sideways, but Harry’s sense of humour, strength and determination allowed him to fight the cancer head-on. Harry underwent two years of long hospital stays and intense, debilitating daily chemotherapy, finishing treatment in April 2018.

Sadly, on 31st December 2019, after being off treatment for twenty months and living life to the full Harry’s cancer returned. This news devastated our world, and there are no words that can describe how we felt.

He spent the next seven months in four different hospitals. Eight weeks of this was spent in intensive care in an induced coma. He then went on to receive the revolutionary treatment CAR-T Cell Therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital. After recovering from this treatment, he undertook hours and hours of intensive physiotherapy and occupational therapy to learn to walk, eat and other everyday life skills, which we all take for granted. Throughout all of this, Harry had a smile on his face and showed more strength and determination than I ever thought was possible.

Harry has now been off treatment for two and a half years; he is loving life and grabbing every opportunity with both hands.

When Harry was diagnosed, I naively knew very little about Young Lives vs Cancer and how the charity would impact our lives in the coming months and years. The Young Lives team were with us at every step, providing vital accommodation across the UK, psychological support, advice and guidance in many areas alongside daily interaction not just for Harry but the whole family.

To enable Young Lives to continue helping young people and families who find themselves going through this horrible nightmare that is cancer, the charity relies heavily on fundraising and donations from the general public. This year I aim to raise £50 for every mile I run, but it would be fantastic to smash that target; no matter how small, any donation will enable the Young Lives Team to continue their fantastic work.

Thank you in advance for your support.