A year ago, in December 2024, I lost a very close friend, Capt. Mark Solomon, to a very rapid and aggressive bowel cancer tumour. From diagnosis to his passing was a shockingly quick 4 months. It took the wind out of my sails for quite some time.

In the October of 2024, while running the Royal Parks Half marathon in support of a mental health charity, I had an intensely vivid mental image of me running the same route with a Cancer Research charity vest on and "For Mark" printed on it. At the time, I'm not ashamed to say, it moved me to tears.

I will be honouring the memory of my friend Mark, and hopefully contributing in some small way to helping eradicate this blight that affects nearly 1 in 2 people* during their lifetime, by running the Royal Parks Half Marathon and fund raising.

Every donation, however small, makes a difference, so please sponsor me and help to power pioneering research. Together we are beating cancer.

* cruk.org/lifetimerisk