Milton Keynes mum-of-two raises huge sum for charity by running London Marathon

A mum-of-two from Olney completed the London Marathon on Sunday, the day before her 49th birthday, to raise cash for a charity close to her heart.

Sophie Shepherd ran the 26.2-mile race in aid of Brain Tumour Research and was supported by 20 family and friends - including some armed with a megaphone and a tambourine.

Along with three of her former colleagues, she has now raised more than £21,000 for the charity.

Sophie, who works as a PA , finished the race in four hours, 52 minutes and nine seconds.

She said: “The atmosphere was absolutely incredible. Up to mile 18, I was loving it, but when I was crying at mile 22, the support I got was amazing.”

Sophie’s inspiration for taking on the challenge came from Russell Shreeves, the father of her former George Davies Turf colleague, Hannah Hamilton.

Russell underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour known as glioblastoma (GBM). Sadly, he died just 10 months later, in December 2019.

George Davies, the owner of the business, is now training for next year’s London Marathon, along with Hannah and her husband.

Sophie said: “Struggling to run is nothing compared to what people go through when they’re really poorly.”

The £21,000 total includes around £12,000 from a dance night with an auction and raffle, where former English football player and manager Barry fry, who is now director of football at Peterborough United, donated two VIP tours of the Club.

Sophie said: “People are so generous. We got £400 in the few days leading up to the marathon, including £20 from a stranger I met in a restaurant the night before, which is amazing considering how tough times are right now. I can’t thank everyone enough for their support.”

Carol Robertson from Brain Tumour Research, said: “Our congratulations go to Sophie... Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.”

To add to Sophie’s fundraising, visit here.