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This year, please cheer me on into the Guinness Book of World Records whilst I continue to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK...read on....

So why on earth run the London Marathon for a fifth consecutive year? 4 months of intensive and tough training in cold, bleak and dark weather. Undergoing extra gym work to strengthen an ageing and weakening body to help get it through the long mileage. Plunging aching and sore limbs into buckets of iced water after every single training session. Making sacrifices; early nights, scaled down social calendar, sensible eating and no alcohol intake (ok, just a bit, my birthday is in February!) So why? Why? Cancer. That is why.

After running my first London Marathon in 2014, I thought I'd done my bit, I'd ticked the box, I'd raised the cash for Cancer Research UK, it was time to get on with my life again. But I soon realised that I hadn't quite done my bit. I realised that I had been given the gift of being a pretty decent runner and the gift of being a pretty successful fundraiser. Plus I had a passion. A passion to fundraise like mad. A passion to see an end to cancer. If I could raise thousands of pounds from running one marathon, surely it was a no brainer to continue to raise funds by running further marathons for a cause so very close to my heart?

Cancer took my mum Marion, my boss Emma and my friend Polly. My brother Rob continues to have treatment for incurable cancer and tries his best to live as normal a life as possible. But he is beating the odds! Cancer has also affected many of my dear friends - you've seen their names written on my running vest. When I hear that a friend has beaten cancer, it spurs me on to raise even more money to help find a cure for this dreadful disease and to continue to fund better and less invasive treatments.

50% of people now survive cancer for 10 years or more and cancer survival in the UK has DOUBLED in the last 4 years. The statistics are always improving which is why we MUST continue to fundraise.    

So my war on cancer continues and I hope you can help support me in my quest...In an attempt to encourage more donations, I propose running next year's London Marathon in fancy dress wearing a cheerleader's outfit. The current Guinness Book World Record is 3:46:55. My PB is 3:34:31 so it's pretty doable (unlike the  Wonder Woman record of 3:16:19!) Injuries permitting of course...

Last year my marathon target was to raise £6.5k so I could get my overall total for CRUK to smash £50k for my 50th Birthday. And smash it I did! Having raised over £13.5k, my overall total soared to well over £57k and I'd love to see that hit £60k with this marathon.

I am dedicating this year's London Marathon to my friend Polly Rudgard who we have only recently lost to cancer. She was an avid supporter of my running and fundraising and a very sweet friend.

I will of course run for everyone else who I've lost to cancer and for those who have been affected by cancer. 

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Thank you so much for your continued support. Without you, I just couldn't do this.

With much love and heartfelt thanks,
Debs xxx