John Waters will be taking part in the London Marathon to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research, after his grandad – John Brown – died of the condition in April 1985 at the age of 62.
Brown was born in Glasgow, but settled in Hexham, Northumberland.
The 46-year-old from South London said: “My grandad was a larger-than-life character who everyone seemed to know.
“He taught me how to do cartwheels in his garden, took me with him sometimes on rounds in the back of his old Subaru and, being a good Scottish man, he even taught me how to swear.
“He was super fit and healthy until he got sick, so his diagnosis and death soon after came as a complete shock.
“The more I learn about brain tumours, the more frustrated I get about the funding gap that exists in researching them compared to other cancers.
“There seems to have been little progress made in developing treatments and cures in the intervening years between my grandad’s death and that of my friend’s, and it’s clear a lot more could be done with greater investment.”
John previously raised £4,500 for Brian Tumour Research by completing the Paris Marathon last year.
He said: “I’m an accidental runner in that my sister, Joss, who I did the Paris Marathon with, persuaded me to do it initially, but I kept it going because I find it helps with my energy and stress levels.
“In the evenings, I run home from my office and it’s a good way of making sure I arrive back in a better state of mind.
“Paris was a beautiful run and the atmosphere was good but it was pretty quiet in parts. I hear the atmosphere in London is much better and the streets are lined with a lot more people. It’s also my home marathon, so I’m really excited to be doing it.”
Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, added: “John’s story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time.
“They kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer, more women under 35 than breast cancer and more children than leukaemia, yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
“We’re determined to change this but we can’t do it alone. We’re really grateful for John’s continued support and look forward to cheering him across the finish line in April. Together we will find a cure.”
The London Marathon will take place on Sunday, April 21. To find out more information, click HERE
To follow John’s running journey go to @johnsrunningamarathon on Instagram and to support his fundraising, click HERE
