Richard’s marathon effort in memory of a dear friend
A 56-YEAR-OLD chartered accountant has completed the world’s most famous marathon and raised more than £3,500 for Brain Tumour Research in memory of a schoolfriend.
On Sunday, Richard Palmer from Rearsby took on the 26.2-mile Virgin Money London Marathon in memory of his friend Andrew Ramen.
Andrew died from an aggressive brain tumour in January 2019, 11 years after he was diagnosed with the deadly disease.
Richard and Andrew had been classmates at Ratcliffe College in Ratcliffe on the Wreake.
Richard, who works for Caterpillar UK, said: “My dear friend Andrew was astonishingly intelligent and a wonderful conversationalist – particularly on subjects that interested him, such as world history, politics, literature and travel.
“He was an incredibly interesting guy; inquisitive, adventurous but always humble. He lived life to the full and had many close friends, who all miss him terribly.
“It was a real shock when Andrew was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour in October 2008. The following month, he had surgery to debulk the tumour, followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy.
“His tumour was a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common type of primary malignant brain tumour in adults. The average survival time for GBM patients is devastatingly short – just 12 to 18 months. Amazingly, Andrew lived for 10 years after his diagnosis, losing his life on January 16, 2019.”
Richard is no stranger to marathon running.
In 2010, he ran both the London and Rutland Marathons and, in 2013, he completed the Manchester Marathon.
He was also due to take part in the Leicester Marathon in 2019 but the event was cancelled due to flooding.
After finishing Sunday’s marathon in 4:49:18, he said: “I’ve done a few big running events over the years.
“Last year I completed the virtual London Marathon when the physical event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
“I started training for the October London Marathon in June and managed to stick to my training plan, which has included lots of yoga as well as running. All of that helped me to get around the course on the day, along with the crowds of supporters, who were just incredible.”
He added: “After we lost Andrew, I discovered his chosen charity was Brain Tumour Research and so it was an easy decision to raise money for this cause.
“The run was tough – especially after the 20-mile point – but doing it in Andrew’s memory was an honour and it was a very emotional experience.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Andrew’s devastating story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age. At Brain Tumour Research we are committed to finding a cure for this terrible disease and we thank Richard for helping to make this happen.”
£3,500 IS RAISED FOR BRAIN TUMOUR RESEARCH
To make a donation to Richard, visit: