My Dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014. He was treated in Edinburgh by the surgeon Miss Farhat Din who now thanks to the support of Bowel Cancer UK has been elected as Scotland's first Colorectal Cancer Surgery Research Chair.

This new role will help to speed up trials and studies aimed at early detection and prevention of bowel cancer to save lives. Surgery is the most common treatment of bowel cancer, and thanks to my Dad's speedy diagnosis he has now been cancer free for nearly ten years. However as my Granny was above the age limit when the screening programme was introduced, she was unable to take part and sadly died of colorectal cancer in 2021.

Bowel cancer is Scotland's second biggest cancer killer, with 1,700 people dying from it every year in Scotland, but with the incredible work from Bowel Cancer UK and people like Miss Din they are striving to change this.

So this is why I have chosen to run the Edinburgh half for Bowel Cancer UK due to both my family's experience and the fantastic work that this charity are doing to bring hope to people who are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year.