The 2026 Manchester Marathon will mark 1 year and 3 days since Jimmy underwent surgery to remove a brain tumour. We are taking on the huge challenge to raise funds for the Brain Tumour Charity.

Jimmy’s Story

It was Friday 7th March 2025 and it was our first night home following a lovely holiday in Tenerife. After having been only fit and well up to this point, I suffered from my first seizure in the middle of the night where I was thrown off the bed and on to the floor. 24 hours later after a visit to A&E, I was diagnosed with a “brain lesion”. Yes, I didn’t really know what that meant either, but it didn’t sound good. A few torturous days in hospital and it was tentatively diagnosed as a primary grade II Oligodendroglioma (I have finally reached the point where I don’t need to have a stab in the dark at spelling this just to have google search auto correct me every time!). It was positive news, the tumour had reared its head early and was very treatable, I was also young (apparently), fit and healthy.

A few seizures later and I underwent a craniotomy on Thursday 16th April, the aim of the surgery was to remove as much gross tumour as possible without affecting my brain. The surgery went incredibly well, and I will never forget the moment I came round post-surgery when the surgeon delivered me this news with a beaming smile that I could only liken to a stockbroker making £1m from a morning’s work.

They think that there is a small amount of residual tumour remaining, and it will just be a case of monitoring how that behaves (it looks like scanxiety is here to stay!) and treating it accordingly. I am now 6 months on from surgery, back to “normal” - working, exercising, holidaying and socialising but accepting there isn't a cure and that my life will never be the same again.

The Brain Tumour Charity

In April 2023, it was reported that brain tumour research accounts for just 1% of national spend on cancer research, yet brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK.

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.

The Charity has, almost certainly, funded research which has had a positive impact on my diagnosis and treatment so far, and no doubt will do for years to come. But they have been so much more to me than this.

During very lonely, frightening nights in hospital awaiting results, and in the lead up to having my surgery, they were a reliable source of information and advice in an age when self-diagnosing on Google can convince us all a headache will result in imminent death.

The hardest part of the whole journey to date has been the delayed trauma onset. When you’re in the thick of it - hospital stays, scans, appointments, surgery – you don’t get any time to process what is happening. The Brain Tumour Charity offer free counselling sessions to anyone diagnosed with a brain tumour as well as to their loved ones. My mum and I have been having these sessions which have really, really helped.

Please spare a few quid…

I went to watch friends run the Manchester Marathon earlier this year, it was a week and a bit post-surgery and by far the lowest I have felt since diagnosis. For some reason the reality of what had happened hit me like a tsunami that weekend. I came home and said to Alex I’m going to run it for the Brain Tumour Charity next year, when Alex said he was also thinking the same I nearly fell off my chair.

It will be special to run alongside Alex (I don’t think they’ll be another time in our life together where I’ll have 4 hours peace and quiet!) who, along with my amazingly supportive family and friends, has been with me every step of the way. We’ll also be running for the incredible staff at Salford Royal Hospital who have, and continue to, provide exceptional care.

https://www.instagram.com/jimmywmcr?igsh=MXk4bDdqZms4bjQ5&utm_source=qr

A message from Alex

Jimmy has been so brave during such a scary and challenging time with his health. I am proud of his strength and motivation during his recovery and grateful that I can be there to support him. The least I could do is take on this daunting challenge with him and show him that I am here for him all the way!

I am hoping it goes better than the Darlington 10km at age 16 when I collapsed at the finish line. 48 minutes of running way too fast with zero training was not a sensible idea. Dad - I will be more careful this time - I promise!

I will also be running in memory of my friend Evie who passed away from a brain tumour in April 2019. She battled bravely for years during college and did it all with a smile and giggle. I miss her so much.

Our thanks for taking the time to read this and sponsor our Marathon. We will keep you updated on our training!

Jimmy and Alex xx

UPDATE 06/11/2025 – Thanks to everyone’s overwhelming generosity we have nearly reached our initial fundraising target and have now increased it to £2,500. Massive heartfelt thank you to all of you.

UPDATE 13/01/2026 - Thanks once again to everyone for the generous donations which has got us to over £1,700, incredible! Given this, we have now upped our target to £3,000 and with a little over 3 months to go, training is in full swing....