A few months ago my great friend Chris died too soon, after a lengthy battle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, huge doses of chemotherapy, several stem cell transplants and ultimately leukaemia.

Since his original diagnosis over 24 years ago, he had always been stalwart in facing his condition, always positive, uncomplaining, fighting it quietly and determinedly every step of the way.

So this year I will be running the London Marathon in aid of Leukaemia UK. It will be my 31st marathon, which is my 29th consecutive London Marathon, but the first one without Chris’s support for me.

Leukaemia UK’s overarching aim is to save and improve many more lives.

From research to care, they put people affected by blood cancers at their heart, supporting everyone affected by leukaemia and blood cancer by carrying out world-class research and furthering advances in care.

I cannot think of a better way to honour my friend.

So please help by donating now. Donating through Just Giving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Just Giving – 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.

Thanks very much for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page.