This October will be quite the homecoming. I was born in Buckinghamshire and moved abroad at the age of six. As a child living in Europe, I remember watching Paula Radcliffe win the London Marathon back at home in England. To me, no other marathon in the world can contend in its magic or meaning. The London Marathon 2022 will be my first ever pure marathon race. I’ll be running to commemorate my beloved father Roland Bufton, a Liverpudlian who was recently promoted to my most brilliant ancestor. In June 2020 we lost our eight-month battle against his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Despite fighting cancer in the middle of a pandemic, he remained buoyant through it all. His resilience and his joy inspire how I move in the world today. Since his passing, I have given myself permission to run because it brings me joy, and perhaps it makes me more resilient too. In 2021 my SwImRuN&FrIENDS family encouraged me to sign up for a few races and got me standing on a couple of urban trail podiums in the Cote d’Azur. I am so grateful for the chance to come home to England, to the soil that raised us, to run this cathartic race and to raise funds in his memory for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

More than half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within just three months. Survival rates have improved enormously for most cancers, yet for pancreatic cancer sadly this is not the case. Pancreatic Cancer UK is dedicated to taking on this injustice using every possible means. They're supporting people with pancreatic cancer now, campaigning, and funding vital research to transform the future. I'd love for you to be a key player in helping them to make breakthroughs for people affected by pancreatic cancer.