In September 2025, I'll be joining a team of Prostate Cancer Research's ambassador supporters to trek "Le Chemin de la Liberté" (the Freedom Trail), following the footsteps of Allied soldiers and Jewish refugees on one of the iconic mountain routes they took through the Pyrenees to escape Nazi occupied France during WWII. The trek takes 4 days with a total distance of 50km from St Girons in France to Vielha in Spain, with a total elevation of 4,132m.

Together the team members are aiming to raise more than £100,000 for PCR's lifesaving work, funding innovative research to find the treatments of the future and ensure no family is impacted by this devastating disease.

I am a keen long distance runner and trail walker. I have run 38 marathons, including 9 ultras, 16 London and 3 New York marathons. Amongst my proudest achievements are 3 Comrades Marathons (90k) and 3 "fell" marathons in the Brecon Beacons (50k and 70k). I have trekked many of the World's most famous trails, including the UK's Three Peaks 24hr Challenge, the Tongariro Crossing and Queen Charlotte Trail in New Zealand, the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy and the Comet Trail in Georgia, USA. The "Chemin" has been on my to-do list for some time after reading Edward Stourton's moving and inspirational book "Cruel Crossing".

After all this activity, it came as a shock when in 2019 I was diagnosed with advanced and aggressive prostate cancer (5+5 on the Gleason Scale) and over three years endured curative treatment, including an 8 hour brachytherapy boost operation, hormone therapy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, all of which was (hopefully) a success. Neither the treatment nor the after-effects have dampened my enthusiasm for endurance sports, although I am much slower these days!

I'm determined to complete this challenge, encourage men over 40 to get themselves tested for prostate cancer, campaign for GPs to recommend such tests as a matter of course and raise money for this worthy cause which is close to my heart.

I'll be posting regular updates on my training, both on LinkedIn and this page.

You can support me by making a donation to this page, and thank you so much for your generosity.

Richard