* UPDATE: 21/06/25 - Thank you all for your incredibly generous donations to Myeloma UK. Through all of your support, the charity will be able to continue to provide information and support to patients suffering from the condition, and also to fund vital research for new effective and safer treatments.

I am delighted to say that I completed the 100km on Saturday, despite the heat (on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far!), in a time of 11 hours 23 minutes. Back in time for supper and a beer, having started at 6.45am!

It was an emotional day, but I had the family there with me along the route for support (including my brother-in-law Chris by my side for the last 25km of it), and the memory of Dad there with me for every single step of the journey. I just wish that he could have been there with us at the finish!

__________________________________________________________________________

* UPDATE: 15/05/25 - Thank you to everyone who attended my Dad's funeral today. Whilst it was a profoundly sad occasion, we were humbled by the sheer number of people that attended to offer their support and to pay their respects.

The messages that we have had since all comment on how uplifting the service was, and how it was a true celebration of Dad's life - a sentiment that we as a family all share too.

Finally, thank you for all of the very generous donations that people gave at the service to Myeloma UK.

__________________________________________________________________________

* UPDATE: 07/04/25 - I am having difficulty in finding the words for this update, however I need to share the devastating news that my Dad unfortunately passed away this evening. He was comfortable, in no pain, and surrounded by his loving family (Lynn, Tim, Lucy and I) as we said goodbye.

I will now be running in his memory, and fundraising for the charity to both raise awareness of this dreadful condition, but also in the hope that others who suffer from the condition may benefit from increased research and medical advances.

__________________________________________________________________________

As some of you may be aware, last December my Dad, Steve, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, which is a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. This cancer is largely concentrated in his spine and ribs, but has also spread to his pelvis, femurs, lungs and kidneys.

He is currently at the Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry where he is undergoing a series of treatments, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, to control the symptoms of the cancer, however unfortunately it is incurable.

This all came as a huge shock as only last Autumn, my Dad was still enjoying regularly playing golf and tennis, and travelling across the globe since retiring a few years earlier.

Whilst it is the third most common type of blood cancer, it often goes undiagnosed at the initial stages of the disease due to the vague symptoms that can be mistaken for a number of other conditions, such as increased fatigue, general bone pain and shortness of breath.

Whilst I have run many ultra marathons in the past, these are usually limited to around 50km in length, and this time around I have decided to double that distance to raise awareness of Myeloma UK, the charity that supports those suffering from the disease.

Myeloma UK is the only UK charity focused on myeloma and its related conditions. They provide support and influence access to treatments while researching a cure.