On 4th April 2019, I lost my husband, Marcus Franks, to bowel cancer. He was 46.
To those who knew him, I don't need to tell you what a brilliant man he was. To those who didn't know Marcus, he was funny, kind-hearted and quick witted. He cared about his community, was extremely sarcastic and he laughed at my jokes.

When Marcus died, to quote him, I couldn’t even run a bath. A few weeks later, I watched the 2019 London Marathon in my pyjamas whilst sitting on the sofa. A couple of days later, I found myself entering the ballot for a place in the 2020 marathon and then applying for a place with Bowel Cancer UK. With hindsight, I clearly wasn't in my right mind but I started running and increasing my mileage and my training was on schedule for April 2020.
Then there was a global pandemic and the marathon was cancelled!
Then I met James and had a baby.
Now there's unfinished business!

I'm running the TCS London Marathon 2024 as part of #TeamBowelCancer.
Running a marathon doesn't compare to the challenge that Marcus faced, but I think it's enough of a challenge to ask for your hard earned money in sponsorship and I hope you agree.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK but the second biggest cancer killer, yet it is treatable and curable if diagnosed early.

Bowel Cancer UK are the UK's leading bowel cancer charity. They're determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.

Your support will help stop people dying of bowel cancer by funding vital services and lifesaving research.

I know that if Marcus were here, once he’d picked himself up off the floor from laughing, I know he’d have been my biggest supporter. Sadly, he won’t be there to celebrate with me at the finish but I hope that the money I raise in his memory will contribute towards a future where fewer lives, like Marcus’, are lost and fewer families have to deal with the devastating consequences of losing a loved one to bowel cancer.

If you are able to help me achieve this by sponsoring me to run the marathon, I would be very grateful.

Thank you.