Marathon runner Jack raises £7,000 in honour of close friend

RUGBY player and past pupil Jack Thomson raised more than £7,000 when he ran the London Marathon in honour of a close friend diagnosed with cancer.

The 31-year-old, who works as project manager for a warehouse storage design company, ran the marathon in under five hours in aid of Bowel Cancer UK.

He raised the impressive sum in under two months: “I wasn’t originally going to raise money while doing the marathon. But my friend Sarah was diagnosed with bowel cancer in January at the age of 27 and is currently undergoing treatment and this is my way to support her through the charity.

“The thought of how brave she has been throughout the whole process was really the driving force which got me through the last six miles of pain.”

Jack, a popular player at Ripon Rugby Club who has organised the club’s tour in Romania this summer, was supported by friends and family who travelled down to London to cheer him on.

“I finished the marathon in 4:56:56 – a bit slower than planned but at around 20 miles in, I started suffering with pain in my heel, I’m not built like a runner so there was a lot of impact going through the feet!" he said.

*See Jack’s fundraising page here: Jack Thomson is fundraising for Bowel Cancer UK (justgiving.com)