A Buckinghamshire dad, whose son was diagnosed with a brain tumour after noticing he was much smaller and looked younger than his peers, is running the TCS London Marathon to raise awareness of the disease.

Roy Burridge, a trainer at Heathrow Airport and part-time celebrant from Chalfont Saint Peter, is running the iconic 26.2-miles race in April for Brain Tumour Research. He was due to compete last year, however a calf injury just weeks before meant he was forced to defer his place.

The-father-of-three, who will be 60 when he runs the race, said: “Running doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m 6ft 4in and about 100kg, but fortunately, I have a good base level of fitness. I took the summer off and got back into training at the end of last year. This time round I’m taking it steady and want to enjoy the challenge.”

His inspiration is youngest son, Daniel, 26, who was diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma tumour in 2016, aged 17.

Roy said: “Daniel looked younger than other boys his age and had to stop playing rugby when he weighed only 8st compared to some 16st lads. He had an X-ray which showed his bone structure was two-and-a-half years behind what it should be. An MRI scan then found a tumour on his pituitary gland.”

Following five years of daily growth hormone injections, Daniel now stands at 6ft 1in and works for a finance firm. A year after his diagnosis, Daniel completed The London Classics including running the London Marathon in under four hours raising almost £8,000 for Brain Tumour Research.

Roy said: “We had incredible support from the charity when Daniel was diagnosed. The information on their website, conversations and support we had from people there was invaluable. It’s what’s kept us supporting the charity for all these years.

"As a family, we want to ensure that other people going through their own diagnosis have the same level of support and we want to help get answers that families may have when they face this disease. We will only do that with studying brain tumours and for that, there needs to be investment into research.”

In 2022, Roy broke his back in two places whilst on a skiing trip and although fully recovered, he sometimes suffers with stiffness in his spine.

Roy added: “There are days where it feels like a huge effort to go out for a run, but my family, wife Kate and three children Daniel, Jazz and Jodie are all great at talking me up and speaking words of encouragement which help me get out running and training. They will all be there on the day to cheer me on, Dan’s time of sub four hours is safe from me.”

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.

Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re grateful to Roy for sharing Daniel’s story. There are more than 100 different types of brain tumour, making them notoriously difficult to find effective treatments for. We’re determined to change that but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, a cure. We’re really grateful for Roy’s support and will be there to cheer him across the finish line in April.”

Dan Burridge in 2018 after completing The London Classics

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

To donate to Brain Tumour Research via Roy’s London Marathon challenge please visit: https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/roy-burridge

Buckinghamshire dad prepares for London Marathon inspired by son’s brain tumour