LON LAS CYMRU ULTRA DOUBLE

 (506 miles/814km)

On the 14th October 2021, I will be on the start line of the Lon Las Cymru Ultra, a 253 mile (407 Km) ultra run from Holyhead in north Wales to Cardiff, A Cockbain event.

The race has limited support.

• Only water is supplied every 25 miles.
  


• Drop bag access every 50 miles.


• No crew allowed or outside assistance.


• No walking poles. 


• No Use of BnB's or friend house to sleep


• You can use shops/pubs etc. for food and drink.


• The time limit is 88hrs

THIS IS THE TWIST

After the finish in Cardiff, the morning after I finish I will be heading back to Holyhead along the same route, making the total distance of 506 miles, 814km)

I will be running this section completely unsupported, Yes Just me, alone for the whole 253 miles.

I will be using shops, cafes, streams & taps for my fuelling.

I will be sleeping when and where I can, all completed unaided.

THE REASON WHY I'M DOING THIS 

As you may or may not know, in June 2020, the world lost an amazing gentleman, Mark Thornberry.

(little info on Mark's incredible story below).

BUT WHY RUN BACK UNSUPPORTED AND NOT WITH CREW

I'm a stage IV testicular cancer survivor and feel exceptionally fortunate to be here. I'm one of the lucky ones!!!.
You see, with any severe illness, there are 2 sides; on 1 side, you feel supported by friends and family, but on the other, you feel utterly isolated as no one understands your situation, this part is where you feel completely alone, thus the reason why the 1st part is partly supported  & the 2nd part is completely unsupported.

MARK'S STORY

Mark had Stage IV hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - or primary liver cancer that has subsequently metastasised (spread) outside the liver.
His cancer was first diagnosed at the end of April 2017. Following a 'failed' procedure, two months later, he was told it was terminal and given 6 to 9 months to live.
Following 4 other procedures, he underwent major surgery to remove more than 50% of my liver. A procedure that had hitherto not been possible to prescribe given the disposition of his cancer and the complication of having underlying cirrhosis.

However, his tumour biology means that I am susceptible to recurrence, and at the beginning of May 2019, scans revealed secondary cancer outside of the liver. Since then, Mark had been on a couple of systemic drug treatments, which unfortunately didn't stop the disease's growth. At this stage, he was told that my tumour burden is such that it is inoperable. He was hoping to meet the eligibility criteria for a very early stage Clinical Trial.
After fighting the disease for the best part of three years, his future more than ever felt very binary in the near term...but no matter what prognosis lies immediately ahead, Mark firmly resolved to uphold what he said after his initial diagnosis - "I refuse, absolutely refuse, to go quietly into the night". Mark still jabbed away though the Clinicians have been unsure as to why. Unfortunately, this is the nature of liver cancer in many, many cases.

Mark used his passion for ultrarunning as a means to keep raising funds for research into HCC at King's College Hospital (KCH) in London - who had been caring for him as an outpatient for his liver disease and who provided support and treatment for his cancer.

Your help with fundraising is crucial. Mark didn't just not accepting of the fact that liver cancer is currently only curable by transplant (and the vast majority are either detected too late for that or are qualified out by other criteria). The monies raised via this page have been deployed to enable research into the 'mechanics' of liver cancer, further understand disease progression, and ultimately help target more precise treatment pathways for patients...and that is just so uplifting. By way of background...KCH is a leading NHS hospital and home to the well renowned Institute of Liver Studies...and it is brilliant. Everyone Mark met there, from porters to nursing support to Consultants, was off the chart with their dedication to patient care.

They all know that liver cancer patients have a very poor prognosis.
Having spent some time as a patient on the wards there, Mark just sensed how much more the team wants to do to fix you entirely or get you more time.
But in the majority of cases, they can't...the treatment options for liver cancer patients are very limited, the research £s are just not there for 'less survivable cancers', and I get the sense that NHS funding for critical illness is still massively triaged, let alone is it enough in relative terms. The big Pharma companies have their own agendas and preferred target markets.
Mark had tremendous support and took on several races...ranging from running 100 miles continuously in the Sonoran desert in Arizona to 145 miles down the Grand Union Canal (from Birmingham to Paddington) to 100 miles in the forests of the Brabant in Belgium, all to raise fund for KCH.

So, I'm going to do my bit to help KCH (Charity Fund), and thus am asking for your support.

May I thank you for any and all support,

TOM

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