Brave Marianne runs to say ‘thanks’
`I’m so grateful to Macmillan and Maggies’
A brave Stirling woman is taking part in the inaugural Stirling Scottish Marathon to say `thank you’to the hospital who cared for her during her cancer treatment.
Marianne Rutz (52), who lives near the city centre, was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in September 2015, three days before she wed husband Kevin.
She is now in remission after chemotherapy but during the treatment she joined a gym to keep her strength and stamina up, and now says she is feeling fitter than ever.
Marianne, an operations director for Capita, was motivated to sign up for this summer’s marathon after finishing her treatment last July and is using her participation to raise valuable cash for Macmillan Cancer Support and the Maggies Centre at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
She said: “I honestly believe that I recovered better from the chemotherapy because of my fitness. I kept up my regime after the surgery – going to the gym three or four times a week.
“After the cancer I thought if I can do this I can do anything. This will come to an end. I finished my chemotherapy in July and the marathon was advertised around the same time.
“I just thought about how good it would be to run it. It’s in my home town – it goes through where I live. My oncologist had no reason to believe I couldn’t do it.”
Despite some setbacks in her preparations she is adamant she will be on the start-line come May 21. She added: “I’m doing better now than I was in December, when infections and fatigue prevented me from training.
“I will be there, I will run it. I will run it to raise funds for Maggies. That for me is why I’m doing it.”
Marianne was born in Switzerland and has lived in the UK for eight years. And she says she didn’t let news of the cancer diagnosis spoil her wedding day.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen. We didn’t do anything – we got married and then it started to dawn on me. My husband signed up for better, for worse, in sickness and in health.
“It was so hard. My family in Switzerland wanted me to go back there for treatment but I love this country. My husband was here.
“We didn’t know which saw it was going to go but I’m here. I’m doing well and I have an opportunity to give something back. The sport and exercise has kept me focused. It’s a fantastic opportunity, it’s a wonderful route. It will be unforgettable.”
The marathon will see runners starting at Blair Drummond before completing the 26.2 mile course and finishing up beneath Stirling Castle.
General entries have closed but there is an exclusive window open for runners wishing to raise money for charity – for more information go to greatrun.org./stirling.