A MARATHON runner from Bourton-on-the-Water is raising money for a cancer charity in his sister's memory.

Mike Kelly is training for his 12th marathon while raising funds for Worldwide Cancer Research.

Mike, 51, lost his younger sister Claire to breast cancer in 2016. The mum of two, who was 44 at the time, had battled the disease for several years.

Speaking of what his family went through at the time, Mike said: “When I first got the news about my sister Claire’s cancer in 2011 I was living in Budapest. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, which over time spread to her lymph nodes and spine.

“Over the next few years Claire’s condition worsened and in 2015 I moved back to the UK with my family to be close to her and my mum.

“My brother Robert had been killed in a road accident the year before, so it was a particularly tough time for my family - seeing Claire struggle with the cancer and seeing how distraught she was about Robert.

“Claire passed away in 2016 and losing her was devastating. I had a tough time making sense of any of it. I knew I had to turn things around and get back into my running.”

Now in training for the London Marathon in October – his 9th London and 12th overall – Mike continues to raise funds for Worldwide Cancer Research to help the charity start new cancer cures.

He said: “Claire told me to keep up the fundraising and that has stuck with me.

“Seeing what she went through made it very clear that I want to help in any way I can. I wouldn’t wish that on any person or any family.

“Supporting a fantastic charity like Worldwide Cancer Research, and the important and life-changing research they fund across the world, feels like a good way to honour her memory.

"Every pound that comes in gives me that boost to keep the training up on a cold dark morning or at the end of a tiring day.

“I ran my first marathon in 2006, in London. A dear friend from my days at drama school had died from a rare form of cancer.

"Another very close friend from LAMDA, Jon, secured two places for the London Marathon and I’ve run all my marathons for Worldwide Cancer Research since then.

“For me, running is a great motivator. A particularly good run can make you feel like anything is possible.

“Things that were never even thinkable suddenly come within your grasp. I’m 51 and have just taken another huge chunk off my PB, running Dorney Lake in two hours 47 minutes.

“If I can shave another two minutes off I can start London as a competitor and line up next to Mo!

“Next up is a middle-distance Triathlon in June, then an IronMan in August, before the London Marathon in October.

“I don’t know what shape I’ll be in at that point, but if I can make even a small contribution to helping others affected by cancer, I’ll run all day.”

Worldwide Cancer Research is the UK’s only cancer research charity which starts and funds new cancer cures across the globe, backing the brightest minds around the world in their quest to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Since it was established in 1979, the charity has funded over £200million of research in over 30 countries to start new cancer cures.

Dr Helen Rippon, chief executive at Worldwide Cancer Research said: “Breast cancer affects a huge number of people right across the world. By funding more discovery research, we can continue to start cancer cures and save more lives in the future.

“We are so grateful to Mike for his amazing fundraising efforts and for helping us continue to make our ground-breaking research possible. Together, with the help of Curestarters like him, we can end cancer.”

To support Mike’s fundraising, go to https://justgiving.com/fundraising/mike-kelly-50.