Six weeks into term one, year one, at the University of York seems somewhat of an achievement considering last year I only managed a mere three weeks, returning home due to illness. I spent the best part of the following six months with my very close friend who has endured the last two years battling and recovering from cancer, and at 20, we have both begun University as almost mature students.

Mid October I watched my friend complete the York marathon on the same day that other friends were completing the Amsterdam marathon in aid of AICR. It was on this day that I decided that this would be my challenge, to complete a marathon and raise money for such a poignant charity; AICR (Registered Charity SC022918).

On the 5th November 2013 I signed up to compete in Barcelona and training began. I intend to keep an updated blog of my training so that you (if you choose) can read about the occasional highs and frequent lows of the next few months. Right now, the prospect of running 26.2 miles in four months’ time seems a very, very long way.  

There are so many reasons why I want to raise money for AICR;

-           - £10 will enable a research scientist to grow cancer cells in a test tube. This will help further their understanding of how cancer cells function.

-           - £50 will cover the cost of analysing a sample cancer tissue. This will improve our scientists’ knowledge of how cancer develops.

-           - £100 will pay for a computer analysis on the structure of a new cancer drug. This will enable our scientists to move closer towards developing a potentially life-saving medication.

-           - £1000 will allow a top scientist to examine the make-up of a cancer gene. This is an essential part of helping our scientists understand how this disease spreads and kills – and how it can be beaten.

To run this marathon, I have to raise £1000 by the 24th February 2014. Please help me achieve this. Cancer affects us all in some way, at some time of our lives, by association or by diagnosis.

AICR: ‘Cancer knows no boundaries. Fortunately, neither do we.’