This one is THE big one. It really is. Please read on.

Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve challenged myself to do some pretty crazy things to help bring forward the day we beat cancer:

• Running numerous marathons all over the world, several in crazy costumes including the Cancer Research UK giant shoe mascot ‘ShoeBarker’
• Despite fear of heights, abseiling (rappelled) off the Francis Crick Institute and skydiving from 10,000 feet at over 100 mph
• Completing a 100 km non-stop ultra marathon and attempting a 30 day accumulator challenge - reaching 16 days and 206 km (153 miles) before injury forced me to stop

With the incredible support and generosity of colleagues, friends and family, I’ve raised £49,000 to support the lifesaving work Cancer Research UK undertake.

The direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 have been truly  terrible for everyone. It has had a devastating impact on charities including Cancer Research UK, forcing them to cut research funding by £45 million. This is around half of what the charity would normally expect to be spending at this time, and it means dozens of potential life-saving projects and hundreds of world-class scientists have been left unfunded.

THESE TWO CHALLENGES GO WAY BEYOND ANYTHING I'VE EVER ATTEMPTED.  OF THOSE CRAZY ENOUGH TO ENTER, NOT ALL WILL GET TO THE START LINE - EVEN FEWER WILL MAKE IT TO THE END.

1)  South Downs Way 100 mile ultra marathon 

This June I will attempt to run 100 miles (161 km) non-stop, along the South Downs, from Winchester to Eastbourne.  

• running day and night, I am hoping to complete this in just inside 24 hours
• along rugged trail paths with over 3800 m (12700 feet) of elevation

2)  The Marathon des Sables has been called ‘The Toughest Footrace on Earth’. 

In October (postponed from April) I will then push myself past my limits and attempt it: 

• running for six days, over 250 km (156 miles) in one of the world’s most inhospitable environments, the Sahara Desert
• across endless sand dunes, rocky jebels and white-hot salt plains
• carrying everything needed to survive on my back, from food to an anti-venom kit to a sleeping bag to toothpaste
• in temperatures that will reach over 50 degrees Celsius

Mentally and physically, this is a challenge like no other in the world.

Thank you all for your support.

Gower 

Cancer Research UK fund scientists, doctors and nurses and are tackling cancer on all fronts to: 

• Prevent: reduce people’s risk of developing cancer
• Diagnose: diagnose more cancers earlier
• Treat: develop new cancer treatment
• Optimise: make treatments more effective for each patient.
  
  

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