Milton Keynes charity trustee prepares for epic 2,740km running challenge

Brain Tumour Research trustee Jack Goodwin, from Milton Keynes, lost his mum Debbie Goodwin six months after she was diagnosed with a highly aggressive brain tumour known as glioblastoma (GBM), in February 2023.

The mum-of-three, who lived in Stockport, Greater Manchester, first sought help for her symptoms, including headaches and dizziness, in February 2022.

But it was not until August of that year that her official diagnosis was revealed, when she was hospitalised following a fall from a suspected stroke.

Debbie underwent surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy but died six months later, aged 61.

Her son Jack turned to running as a way of coping with his mother’s loss.

He has since become a trustee of Milton Keynes-based charity Brain Tumour Research, for which he is planning an epic challenge covering almost 1,703 miles for 2024.

This will see him run 2,740km throughout the year to symbolise the £2,740 it costs to sponsor a day of research at one of the charity’s four Centres of Excellence and will include 15 official marathons in recognition of the charity’s 15th anniversary year.

Jack said: “Mum was brilliant; she was always so kind and I often leant on her for emotional support. I miss her every day.

“Following her diagnosis in August 2022, I regularly travelled from my home in Milton Keynes to be with her in Stockport. It was tough but I had to try my best to be there for her.

“My daughter was just one-and-a-half at the time, and I missed some key milestones, but being with Mum when she died was a privilege and I’m glad I was there.”

His first run of 2024 will take place on 1 January with a 27.40km route around Caldecotte Lake, in Milton Keynes, followed by a six-hour Rasslebock Run in Sherwood Pines, Nottinghamshire, on 13 January.

Jack said: “I had always been a runner, the military teed me up for that quite well, so my fitness has always been quite good.

“But for the first few months after Mum passed, I found myself running for hours on a treadmill just to get away from my thoughts and feelings.

“I then started transitioning to running on the road and realised I was still quite good at it. I’ve kept track of all my running in 2023 and, since April, I’ve consistently done the equivalent of a half-marathon a week and a marathon a month, with 5km and 10km runs in between.

“The challenge with this is the frequency of the long runs because it’ll require me to recover quickly. My runs in 2024 won’t be about my time, they’ll be about getting to the finish line fully fit for another marathon, in some cases, six days later.

Jack has sold his collection of Nintendo 64 cartridges to help pay for his race entries. Running and fitness apparel company Twisted Running has sponsored him for much of his kit, but he is still in search of a trainer sponsor, with shoes needing to be replaced around every 500km.

Any businesses interested should email [email protected].

Jack said: “I’m more nervous than I was when this was just a pipedream because I can see it all planned out in my calendar and it’s going to be tough doing the York Marathon less than a week after the Manchester Marathon.

“I don’t think I’m worried about not doing it, I’m just worried about keeping myself fit and injury-free throughout the year, but the motivation is absolutely there.”

He added: “Mum would be fully supportive of the challenge. She was always the one who said I could do anything.

“She loved running and must have taken part in more than 50 races for charity, so it’s great to know that I’m continuing in her footsteps by raising money and awareness in this way.

“I’m really excited about it and would love to raise enough money to fund at least a couple of days research in her name.

“It almost ends the mourning period for me and starts the rebuild. I’m doing this in her name to help find a cure, so others don’t have to go through the pain I, and many others, have as a result of this cruel disease. It’s not about me doing marathons, it’s about me raising funds and awareness for Brain Tumour Research.”

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.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We were thrilled to welcome Jack as a trustee earlier this year and are in awe of his ambitious plans for 2024. We wish him the best of luck with it. 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 this devastating disease since records began in 2002. We’re determined to change this, but we can’t do it alone. Together we will find a cure.”

To support Jack’s fundraising visit the website and to follow his journey search @JackKeepsRunning on Instagram.