Billy undertakes 184-mile Thames Path running challenge in memory of his wife – Cancer Research UK

Working only one marathon is a large achievement. Not to mention operating seven marathons in seven days.  

Nicely, that’s precisely what Billy Boyle, a 45-year-old businessman from Cambridge, is planning on doing as he units off tomorrow to run the size of the Thames Path, all to boost very important funds for charities near his coronary heart.  

Whereas Billy kilos the Thames Path on his gruelling 184-mile problem, his twin boys Isaac and Oscar, 14, will full 184 push-ups day by day.  

They’ve arrange arrange the Boyle Boys’ fundraising page, for Most cancers Analysis UK and Avenue Youngster in reminiscence of Billy’s spouse and the boys’ mum, Kate Gross, who died in 2014 of colon most cancers. 

A driving power 

“Kate was identified with late-stage colon most cancers in October 2012 and at one level was given the all-clear, nevertheless it got here again,” stated Billy.  

“Regardless of the perfect efforts of fantastic docs and after loads of remedy, Kate died on Christmas morning 2014.” 

Billy has since mixed his ardour for operating with a willpower to boost funds for charity in her reminiscence. 

In addition to elevating cash to fund life-saving analysis into most cancers, the household is fundraising for a charity that was near Kate’s coronary heart, Street Child, who work with native organisations to make sure each baby has entry to an training, notably in low useful resource environments and emergencies. 

However Kate isn’t simply the driving power behind his fundraising, she’s additionally an essential inspiration for Billy’s work. Following her loss of life, his firm, Owlstone Medical, has been creating a ‘breathalyser for illness’ – a non-invasive breath check with a aim to detect illness earlier, together with most cancers and liver illness. 

The most important problem but 

Whereas Billy is not any stranger to a problem, having beforehand run 100km on one of many hottest days of 2022, this will likely be his biggest endurance check to date. 

“One of many issues I’m most apprehensive about is that many elements of the Thames Path are utterly flooded in the intervening time, so I might need to provide you with some alternate marathon routes,” stated Billy.  

“I’m additionally a bit of bit involved about choosing up an harm alongside the way in which. Having run two consecutive marathons over two days, I do know what to anticipate, it’s simply whether or not one thing goes ‘pop’!” 

He’ll be staying in a single day with family and friends en route, and can also be hoping individuals will be a part of him alongside the way in which. His progress will likely be accessible through a reside tracker, which individuals can view on Billy’s X (previously Twitter) account @Bily_Boyle. 

“Almost 1 in 2 of us will get most cancers in our lifetime, but when picked up earlier the possibilities of survival are ten occasions higher,” stated Billy. “Most cancers Analysis UK helps the perfect researchers on the planet to assist discover methods to prognosis most cancers sooner and save lives.”