First let me tell you about Dominic, because he’s the reason I’m doing this.

Dominic was one of my best friends and he died earlier this year from glioblastoma (a type of brain tumour) aged 47. I’d known him since we met at school when we were 12. He was an integral part of a group of our friends that remains close-knit to this day. He was warm, sociable, funny, a great mate, fun to be around. A husband and dad to teenagers, a beloved brother and son. He was fit and active and he had looked after his health. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma not long before COVID struck. He received excellent treatment and care and approached his illness as he approached all areas of his life: with positivity and humour and without a shred of self-pity. But Dominic was fighting a losing battle from the start because glioblastoma is a cancer of the brain that is aggressive and incurable.

It is my aim to help prevent other families from suffering in the way that Dominic and his family have done and that’s the reason I am running for the Brain Tumour charity; to contribute towards funding of research, not just into further treatments, but looking for a cure.

Now a little about myself. I’m no runner. ‘Built for comfort rather than speed’ would be a fair description. I’ve never run a half marathon before, nor, until very recently indeed, anything like that distance. But I’m confident that I can, and I can’t wait to put on my running shoes on 8 October to run with my friends Nick, Simon, James and James, to celebrate and remember Dom’s life and between us to raise as much money as possible for The Brain Tumour charity. Your contribution, however small, will be greatly valued and I offer you my thanks in advance for your support.