A dad-of-three from Torquay has overcome a hip condition and completed the Plymouth Half Marathon to raise money for pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research.

Spurred on by the brain tumour diagnosis of his brother-in-law, Jon Woodmore was determined to run the 13.1-mile course to raise awareness and funds for research into the disease. Despite having Perthes Disease – a hip condition that leads to restricted movement and pain – and no running experience, Jon pushed through to the finish line.

His challenge was inspired by Keith Harvey who was diagnosed with an aggressive grade four brain tumour in January 2018 following a series of seizures. Keith, 49, had surgery immediately and has since undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Keith is now awaiting a prognosis.

Jon, who works as an Aftercare Manager at Kier Group, said: “Running the half marathon has been such an achievement for me. Without a doubt, it was Keith and his family’s strength that motivated me. Keith’s illness has been gruelling but they’ve not let it break them. I thought if they can get through that, then I can certainly get through a half marathon and raise some money for more research into the disease.

“While I have known people who have brain tumours, I didn’t fully appreciate that brain tumours are a type of cancer, and I believe this is due the lack of Government funding and public awareness. It was only when Keith was diagnosed that my eyes were opened. I hope that by completing this half marathon, I can at least bring a little more awareness to this indiscriminate and unforgiving disease.”

The annual half marathon saw runners proceed through the city centre towards Plymstock and Elburton and back round to finish at the Hoe. Jon joined thousands of runners on the track and was greeted at the finish line by Keith, Keith’s wife Michelle, and their kids Daniel, Jennifer and Isobel.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer –and more men under 45 than prostate cancer – yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Emma Cronin, Community Fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Congratulations to Jon for his tremendous achievement and we are extremely grateful for his support. Stories like Keith’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.

“The money Jon raised will will help us in our mission to build a network of experts in sustainable research. We are funding dedicated Centres of Excellence – including one at the University of Plymouth – where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.”

Make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Jon’s JustGiving page.

For further information, please contact:
Farel Williams at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 502708 or farel.williams@braintumourresearch.org

Notes to Editors

Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK focused on funding sustainable research to find a cure for brain tumours. We have established a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, over £6 million was raised towards research and support during 2017.

We are campaigning to see the national spend on research into brain tumours increased to £30 - £35 million a year, in line with breast cancer and leukaemia. The unprecedented success of our 2015 petition led to the 2016 Westminster Hall debate and Brain Tumour Research taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research with the report being published in 2018.

Key statistics on brain tumours:

• Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer
• They kill more children than leukaemia
• They kill more men under 45 than prostate cancer
• They kill more women under 35 than breast cancer
• Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease
• In the UK, 16,000 people each year in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour
• Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers
• Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age
• Incidences of and deaths from brain tumours are increasing

Please quote Brain Tumour Research as the source when using this information. Additional facts and statistics are available from our website including our latest Report on National Research Funding. We can also provide case-studies and research expertise for media.