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At the beginning of 2013, Bex Lindsay (everyone's favourite Northern radio superstar) was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which was not great. Then, in a sudden and heartbreaking turn of events, her dear mum Elsa was diagnosed with a terminal form of the illness, and two weeks later, on the 24th October, Elsa passed away in hospital.

A lot of you reading this will know Bex. You will all know how amazing she is and how she has coped with her diagnosis with grace, humour, and strength (and very good use of a Snap! lyric). You will also know how difficult it's been for her at times, with numerous operations, isolation in radiotherapy rooms, and her loss of her ability to taste chocolate. And now she not only faces her own battle, but has to deal with the loss of her mum - the marvellous Elsa, who has been a pillar of support for Bex while also plying the rest of us with wine in her ever-endearing way.

Macmillan Cancer Support helped (and continue to help) Bex through her fight against this STUPID disease, and they also helped Elsa. I want them to do more stuff like this. So I'm raising some money for them by running a bloody marathon.

If you, like me, not only love Bex and Elsa, but also want to make sure other people in their position get the care and support that they need, why not donate to Macmillan through this page? Don't think about the marathon. Who cares? I'm just putting one foot in front of the other (for about 5 hours) but that's not important. What's important is that we're donating money in celebration of Bex, to a charity that has supported not only her but also so many others in their fight against cancer. Although I can't medically make a difference, I can do this to support my best friend and her family through a horrible, horrible time.

Spread the word: #forbex

(Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.)