It was the 22nd April 2007.

I had a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other.

And my mate Saffa (aka Duncan Little) was in a world of pain.

He ran past the 26 mile marker and I felt a wave of pride wash over me.

He was minutes away from completing the London marathon - what a bloody legend!

3 things happened shortly after this memory...

I quit smoking.

I entered the ballot for the 2008 London marathon.

And Saffa's mum tragically lost her life to cancer - the first of my close mates to lose a parent.

I remember thinking he didn't have a lot of support around him.

His dad lived in America.

And his friends were scattered around the world.

I wish there'd been more.

Fast fwd to present day...

I'm now a runner.

Saffa's marathon sparked a habit that eventually led to the (cringe) hashtag #therunningmarketer.

And I've lost a parent to cancer.

But my experience was different to Saffa...

Not only did I get many more years with dad, I had much more support when he died.

A lot of this support came from Maggie's - their team really helped my family make sense of what was happening.

I wish Saffa had had a Maggie's around him.

And it's this thought that's driving my fundraising effort this year...

I want to do a charity run for Maggie's.

And I want to do it in memory of 2 special people - Saffa's mum and my dad.

So I've picked the oldest ultra marathon in the world - the Comrades.

It's 87km uphill.

And it's in Saffa's hometown - Durban, South Africa.

Where my running inspiration came from.

If you'd like to support me please share this story or go a step further and make a donation (JustGiving in comments).

The more money we raise the more Maggie's can help people like me and Saffa.

Thank you. 🖤

PS pic of me and Saffa on his wedding day xx