In October 2024, Jon started training to run the London Marathon 2025 (LM25) for Brain Tumour Research and opened this page. From December his very good friend Nick joined him on this challenge, training and running the London Marathon together. Nick became a close friend over 35 years ago.

Together we are aiming to raise £15,000 and your help is really appreciated.

Our stories are below.

Here Jon's "WHY"....

I am pushing myself from being able to run the 6 or 7 km I could do in September, up to the marathon distance of 42.2km. I will have to lose about 2 stone (~13kg) to avoid doing more permanent injury to my already damaged knees, hips and lower spine. I will be out training in the pitch-black dark country lanes 2 or 3 times a week through the coldest, darkest and wettest part of the year. The marathon on 27th April is the easy bit if the training goes well. The sponsorship is partly to get me through the training, but most importantly to raise money for Brain Tumour Research. Keep reading...

Keep Reading...

January 2024 was a year since my father passed away from prostate cancer. As the anniversary of his death passed, I felt that I should be coping better and realised that it was important to get healthier. A month later that all changed when mine and my wife’s lives were turned upside down. Whist driving our eldest daughter home from work, Claire had a seizure. In spite of losing awareness of how to operate the car and having spasms down her right side she managed to stop the car safely. Within two weeks she was diagnosed with a Grade 2 Astrocytoma (Brain Tumour) and she had been booked in for a craniotomy. By the end of March she had undergone critical brain surgery to have a lot of the tumour removed. This was followed by 30 cycles of radiotherapy (6 weeks of treatment every day), during which she lost two thirds of her hair. After just one month Claire started chemotherapy and she has now completed 3 sessions out of a planned 12 months of treatment. When that is over she will be at the end of almost 18 months of having her head cut open, feeling nauseous, losing hair, having blood taken many times a month, being rushed to A&E, having her brain zapped 30 times, going for endless brain scans, taking hundreds of poison pills (plus all the associated other tablets), and the best part of 100 trips to hospitals or the cancer clinic. Yes, even after all that Claire will still have some residual tumour left. She will still have a brain tumour.

There are over 130 types of brain tumour. Astrocytomas like Claire’s are only treatable, not curable. Not yet anyway.

Our one hope is that all Claire’s current treatment will give her enough time for medical science to advance enough to find a cure or at least prolong her life into old age. It is not just about us, but also about our 2 amazing daughters and there is so much of their lives ahead which we both want to be part of and which is why we need to help support this.

Through all the terrifying treatments Claire has been so amazingly strong. However, one of her biggest fears and challenges has been letting anyone except her absolute closest family and a few friends know. That has been the only thing she has felt in control of as we, as a family, struggle to come to terms with it all. We live in a small town and not having everyone gossiping and protecting our girls from questions and reminders has been so important. Publishing this message is one of the biggest challenges we have had to face. If I can raise enough money for this life critical cause, then it will have been worth it.

Here is Nick's Why...

About 25 years ago, when I was 23, my father died from a Brain Tumour following surgery and a year's worth of chemo and radiotherapy. He was able to die peacefully at home due to the support of one of the charities that later became Brain Tumour Research.

When Jon told me the news of his family, it reminded me of my father and I wanted to support Jon on his journey, so that he is able to continue to support his family on their journey. As an occasional runner (Jon has always been fitter and faster than me - but don't tell him that) agreeing to train/run LM25 and to raise funds is going to be a personal challenge. Especially if I do not want to be left behind! But I do like challenges.

Our Fundraising

This is what it is all about.... raising funds for Brain Tumour Research.

Together Jon and Nick have pledged to raise £15,000 or more. If you are unsure of how much to sponsor me for running this, let me add that the “race” is on Jon's 55th Birthday, so if you feel like adding a little extra as a present (donated to the charity) then that would be amazing.

THANK YOU ALL.

Jon and Nick. xxx