In April 2024 I will be running the London Marathon, raising money for Guts UK, in memory of my best friend, Wayne McDonald, who died suddenly from pancreatitis in April 2023. 

Wayne was a wonderful man, he was married to Melissa and a father to four lovely young boys. As a tennis coach for over 25 years, he inspired numerous young people through his love of the game. His sudden loss earlier this year has left an irreplaceable gap in many people’s lives. 

A few years ago, Wayne and I started a very unlikely hobby of long distance running! We often met up for a run that took us past our old school fields where we reminisced about our mutual hatred of cross country, and how funny it was that we’d both ended up enjoying the challenge of endurance running. Wayne ran the London Marathon in October 2021 and I took part earlier this year. We had planned to do one together in the future.  

The 2024 event therefore seems the appropriate occasion to run in Wayne’s memory, raising as much money as we can for Guts UK in their fight against all digestive disorders. 

“Guts UK is the charity for the digestive system, from top to tail; the gut, liver and pancreas. Our guts have been underfunded and misunderstood for decades. One of Guts UK’s priority areas is pancreatitis, because they know of far too many families, just like Wayne’s. It’s time to change that. They are dedicated to finding an effective treatment, or better yet, a cure for pancreatitis. Your donations will fund research, working hard at understanding this condition better, so we can save lives. Your kindness will also ensure families have expert pancreatitis information in their hands during their greatest time of need. Your support will enable awareness surrounding this little-known condition, empowering people to seek help, sooner.”

Thank you for reading and for your support

Paul x