Hi everyone, 

Blissfully ignoring the many sceptical voices around me, this year I have decided to run the London Marathon!

I hope to raise some money for the Institute of Cancer Research, the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe, and since 1909 the home to some of the most significant, world-leading breakthroughs in oncology. By way of background,  in the 1940's they identified the carcinogens in cigarette smoke, in the 1950's and 1960's they developed the first ever chemotherapy drugs, and in the 1980's they developed modern radiotherapy techniques. More recently they have been identifying cancer predisposition genes and applying evolutionary biology principles to cancer and cancer stem cells.

Today the ICR funds roughly 340 research degrees and academic posts focused on epidemiology, pathology, and therapeutic development, all research areas that are essential for the development of effective personalised cancer medicine. This is stuff that could  change the lives of hundreds of millions globally. 

Regardless, their website tells their story far better than I ever could - www.icr.ac.uk/home

So far, marathon training has been totally miserable (especially over Christmas), though over the next few months I'm confident I can get into reasonable enough shape to make an athletic success of myself. Any moral support (or better yet, spare Gu energy gels) you'd be able to offer me would make a huge difference, and any financial support you'd be able to offer the ICR would be awesome.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page!

Dhruv