A British Army veteran who lost his mum to brain cancer is on course to complete a massive marathon challenge to raise funds to help find a cure for the disease.
Former soldier Jack Goodwin, 37, from Newton Leys, Milton Keynes, will spend Christmas with his family having completed his Megathon Challenge which has seen him run an extraordinary 15 official marathons in a year.
Jack will run his final race, the Die Hard Marathon on Monday (23 December) around Caldecotte Lake in his hometown.
He is closing in on his fundraising target of £2,740 which represents £1 for each km he has covered and is the amount it costs to fund a day of research at a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.
Following the loss of his mum 61-year-old Debbie Goodwin who died of a glioblastoma (GBM) in February 2023 just six months after she was diagnosed, father-of-one, Jack, took on the role of Trustee for the Milton Keynes-based charity in order to “do more for the brain tumour community.”
He added: “Mum was an incredible woman, always laughing and smiling, she was a shoulder to lean on and I miss her everyday. Mum herself was a runner, and I grew up watching her do half marathons, so this was a fitting tribute. Running is something that’s helped me through the grieving process too.”
Jack has put his heart and soul into the challenge, and even sold his precious collection of Nintendo 64 cartridges to help pay for race entries which has seen him pound the pavements of Bedford, cruise past castle grounds in Cholmondeley, and tackle tricky terrain in the Pennines.
Data insights manager, Jack, said: “I’ve gone through five pairs of trainers. My sixth will be ready to hang up after Monday and I’ll be ready for a rest. It’s been the quickest year of my life. At times it’s felt very lonely, but the group of people who have liked, commented and shared messages on my Instagram page has been encouraging and kept me going when I’ve wanted to stop.”
Just under 13% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 54% across all cancers, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
Jack added: “Running was part of my mourning process, essentially running away from feeling anything and when I started out this challenge, I ran with my head down. Now at the end, I’ll finish with my head high. I hope that I’ve helped to raise the profile of brain tumours and got more people speaking about the investment that’s needed to research kinder treatments and work towards finding a cure for the disease. A brain tumour took my mum’s life too soon, I don’t want other families to go through the same thing.”
Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “What an amazing year Jack has had. Running most days and in all weathers, it’s certainly not something you see or hear about often. He’s now so close to finishing. His mum’s story is a stark reminder that brain tumours are indiscriminate, they can affect anyone at any age. We’re grateful to Jack for sharing his mum’s story and we can’t wait to cheer him over the finish line.”
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 Jack’s 2024 Megathon challenge, please visit: www.gofundme.com/f/2024Megathon
For full updates from Jack, you can check out @jackkeepsrunning on Instagram.
