Update March 2nd 2026: starting week 20 of the training, long runs now up to 26km (full marathon is 42.2, to save you looking). Still enjoying the training and am using the time to listen to audio books. So far I have 'read' - The Great Gatsby, The Lost World, Fatherland, Conclave, The 39 Steps and I am currently on 1984.

I beat my revised £6000 target and have now upped it to £7000 - please donate what you can !

UPDATE Jan 7th 2026: I am 12 weeks into the marathon training programme and, for the most part, I am enjoying it (although yesterday's run wasn't fun at all). Though many people's kind donations, I have hit my target but with 4 months to go, I have decided to up my target to try and gather some more funds for the charity.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your donation (hopefully). See below for original post.

On August 28th 2012 (the London olympics summer), I collapsed and had a seizure whilst on holiday in France. A few hours later in the hospital, I discovered I had a brain tumour.

This was successfully operated on by Henry Marsh on September 12th 2012. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Marsh_(neurosurgeon))

I have always had running the London Marathon on my bucket list and have been perpetually unsuccessful in the ballot for many years, not wanting to take a charity place for fear of failure.

Last year, an ex-collegue's wife was also diagnosed with a brain tumour and that gave me the "kick up the bum" to have the courage to apply for a charity place. I wasn't successful for the 2025 London Marathon but have been for the 2026 London Marathon. Sadly my ex-colleague's partner has passed away so this makes this even more important.

I am a middle aged man, with my last long run (Half Marathon) being in 2017 - the training and race itself are not going to be easy.

I know I have a punchy fundraising target, but I am thinking that if everyone who I have worked with or known over the last 55 years puts in £10 then this is a straightforward target. £10 is less than the cost of 2 pints. 3 coffees, an Uber to pub etc.

But please feel free to sponsor more than £10 !

Please help me raise funds for a charity and a condition that has impacted me personally and also thousands of other people. Your donation will give me the strength to pavement pound and get fit for the race.

Many thanks

(the photo is from just after I had my staples removed, about 10 days after the operation)

Info from the charity

One in three people in the UK knows someone affected by a brain tumour. This disease is indiscriminate; it can affect anyone at any age. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this. It is the only national charity focused on finding a cure for all types of brain tumours. Help fund the fight. Together we will find a cure.