“I have incurable stage 4 prostate cancer, but I’m running ultramarathons 10 years after diagnosis"
"The 6 November 2024 was 10 years to the day when I was diagnosed with incurable stage 4 advanced prostate cancer" says Kevin. "When I was diagnosed at my local hospital, I was told I had two years left to live, three or four if I’m lucky.”
After this devastating diagnosis, Kevin was referred to The Royal Marsden for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Remarkably, under the care of Professor Chris Parker, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Kevin’s cancer has responded very well to this treatment. He benefitted from abiraterone – a type of hormone therapy which was first developed by teams at The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research, London.
Kevin has continued to defy expectations, marking a decade since his diagnosis this year. And in that time, he has lived anything but a quiet life!
Kevin’s incredible achievements since 2014
“Here I am 10 years on, way past my ‘use-by-date’, having run over 16,000 miles, and taking on challenges like ultra-marathons in the Sahara, the Arctic, Cambodia, Jordan and Iceland. I’m always fundraising and always hoping to inspire.”
“More recently I’ve been taking on a 300k-a-month running challenge and I also attempted the Berkeley Marathons UK. This is an unmarked 26-mile course around the hills of Gloucestershire, and the challenge is to complete five laps! Only two runners have ever managed three laps, and I managed to do 54 miles, which isn’t too shabby! But I was absolutely shattered after 54 miles, how was I going to manage my next challenge of 80 miles?”
The Royal Marsden mega-marathon!
“The Royal Marsden hospital made my longevity a reality. I thought that this was something to celebrate and do something special for. A party? No. Holiday of a lifetime? No. Why not try to run further than I ever had done in 24 hours? Absolutely!”
“To raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, I ran and walked from my house in Epsom to The Royal Marsden in Sutton and back 10 times in 24 hours. From where I live it’s a roughly eight-mile return trip to the hospital, so it was 80 miles in total. Every lap was for a year of my life, a different department of The Royal Marsden who have kept me alive and someone who has helped me along the way.”
“I was determined to give back to the incredible teams at the hospital, from the doctors and nurses to all the support staff and those behind the scenes.”
This gruelling challenge saw Kevin climb over 3,500ft going up and down hills over the course of the 10 laps. He was supported along the way by friends, family and staff from The Royal Marsden including his consultant, Professor Chris Parker, who joined him for part of the challenge.
How the challenge went
“I was humbled and blown away by the support that I received during the challenge. I managed to complete the longest run of my life in one day – my friends and family ensured the experience went way beyond my expectations. In the end, I was joined by over 60 people, some of whom ran 100 yards, others for half a lap or a full lap, and even some who did four laps!"
“I am overjoyed that I’ve raised over £20,000 for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which will help The Royal Marsden to carry out more research into life-saving cancer treatments. It makes all the effort truly worthwhile. I love that I’ve made a real difference to the hospital that is so important to so many.”
A huge thank you to Kevin!
“Kevin’s dedication to fundraising and raising awareness of prostate cancer is really astonishing” said Professor Chris Parker. “I was delighted to join him for a small part of his challenge for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, in recognition of his special milestone.”
"The discovery of life-saving drugs like abiraterone relies on research, and Kevin’s fundraiser will help support the hospital’s work to develop better treatment options for patients, giving them more time to spend with their loved ones.”
You can find out more and donate to Kevin’s fundraiser here!