Rob and James, Christie fundraisers

Friends Rob Garner and James signed up take on the Therme Manchester Marathon 2022 on Sunday 3 April 2022 as a fitness challenge. They thought that with the other person there to push them on, it would be the motivation they needed to finish the 26.2-mile run.

But shortly after signing up, Rob’s aunty Marie was diagnosed with cancer. And shortly after this, James’s mum Dianne also got a cancer diagnosis.

Rob and James decided they would raise money in support of The Christie charity as part of their Manchester Marathon challenge. They did this to support their family members currently being treated for cancer, and because James’s mum is receiving her treatment at The Christie.

On top of the recent family cancer diagnoses, James’s dad has previously experienced cancer. So, for all these reasons, Rob and James felt passionate about raising money for The Christie to give something back for the cancer treatment their families had received.

To train for the Therme Manchester Marathon 2022 in April 2022, Rob and James committed to doing joint runs together every Sunday and logging their progress to see how they were getting on. The 2 friends said that running together is much easier than training separately, as the companionship helps pass the time.

“James and I originally signed up to run the Manchester Marathon in April 2022 as we love a challenge. Since signing up, we have both had family members who have been diagnosed with cancer and so we have decided to raise money for The Christie in support of their battle against cancer.
“Running together is brilliant. We talk nearly the whole run discussing everything and anything – from family and treatment updates to running tactics and how we'll approach the challenge on the day. We encourage each other when we are struggling and it's safe to say a lot of the enjoyment comes from doing this together. 
“On the flip side, whenever we've done long, solo runs, the differences are noticeable. They feel much harder and no way near as enjoyable!”

  - Rob Garner, Christie fundraiser

Are you up for a real running challenge? Take on the Therme Manchester Marathon 2022 on Sunday 3 April 2022 for The Christie charity and you can help us to make a real difference to the lives of cancer patients and their families.