The blisters were all worth it for the 126 runners who took part in Sunday’s TCS London Marathon for Sarcoma UK – you were brilliant!
There were so many highlights on the day, but to mention a few:
- Ollie Shortt, from London, set a new Guinness world record for running as a human body part. He wore a bone costume and completed the 26-mile course in three hours and 43 minutes. He took part to mark his wife Kripa’s recovery from retroperitoneal liposarcoma. She had a four-kilo tumour removed.
- Thalia Milton, from Berkshire, completed the course aged 72. Her daughter Natasha McGlinchey, 40, was diagnosed with myxoid liposarcoma, which has spread to other parts of her body, including her heart.
- The 18-strong Team Chazza took part in memory of Charlie Hunt, the late brother of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who died aged 53 last year from spindle cell sarcoma. Some team members had travelled from as far as Hong Kong and South Africa to run the marathon.
- Chris Whellams, 32, from Hertfordshire, had proposed to his wife Laura at the end of the London Marathon nine years ago. She died from myxoid liposarcoma last year and Chris ran the race again in her memory. He crossed the finish line holding up her picture.
- Steve Walker, 42, an army reservist from Buckinghamshire, who ran wearing a 20-kilo backpack in memory of his friend of many years, Jason Narraway, who died in 2019 at age 31 from synovial sarcoma.
- Ian Lewis, 48, from Suffolk, ran the marathon having had to learn to walk again following myxoid liposarcoma – a lump on his hip had to be removed.
These were just some of the many inspiring personal stories among our runners. Many of our runners attended an after-party in Westminster where they could meet relatives and supporters and put their feet up!
