'Completing Thame 10K was one of the best days of my life' says cancer-surviving dad
A dad has shared the special reasons why he chose to fundraise at this year’s Thame 10k.
Tim Field, 58, who lives locally, raised over £6,000 for Bowel Cancer UK at last month’s Thame 10k event.
He was diagnosed with bowel cancer last year and chose to raise funds for leading charity supporting people and families coping with the disease.
It was his 13th time running the road race and Tim finished the race in under an hour after recovering from several rounds of treatment for bowel cancer in the last year.
Tim said: "For 12 years, this race has been a staple in my calendar and a personal challenge. This year, it was more than that. It's a symbol of my recovery and a way to give back.
"I ran to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK as so many people seem to be affected by bowel cancer and raising awareness is so important."
Bowel Cancer UK has revealed that Tim was given a stage 2 diagnosis last July after he took a routine NHS screening test, which is offered to eligible people aged from 50 to 74 every two years.
His diagnosis came despite him having no symptoms and being outwardly fit and healthy, playing football twice a week and running long distances.
"Without the screening programme I’d never have known," he added. Tim underwent surgery to remove a 5cm tumour last August and started training for the Thame 10K this March, the charity has also revealed.
A spokesperson for the charity has revealed that Tim was able to complete this year's race in 54 minutes, accompanied by 22 members of family and friends who took part in the race with him. This came despite him having surgery as recently as May.
"Completing the Thame 10K this year was one of the best days of my life," Tim added. "It felt like such a big achievement and to do it with my friends and family supporting me was amazing. I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of my wife Clare, who organised all the fundraising, and our fantastic team of runners."