Roger completes his charity challenge during cancer battle
A cancer battler has successfully completed his charity running challenge with days to spare.
Fifty-one-year-old Roger Miller, who was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in November of last year, joined Cancer Research UK’s Run 56 Miles Challenge after an operation was delayed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and initially hoped to raise £350 by averaging two miles a day throughout February.
Yet wellwishers contributed around £2,000 before he even reached the starting line with the current total now approaching the £3,000 mark.
Roger, a former pupil at Sunderland’s Hill View, Southmoor and Bede schools, was “overwhelmed” by their support and used it as inspiration to ensure that he completed the challenge by Wednesday, February 24.
He said afterwards: “I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me.
"Everyone has been so generous and they have all inspired me to make sure I finished the challenge.
"What struck a chord was people telling me about members of their families who have had cancer and I felt as though I was running for all of them.”
The fire safety manager, who now lives in London with his partner and their four children, may have finished even earlier if it was not for tricky winter weather in the second week of the month.
Roger, who is originally from the Tunstall area of Sunderland, said: “There were a couple of days where it was just too dangerous to go out running.
"So I had to use them as rest days.”
A keen runner and cyclist before his diagnosis, Roger hopes to embark on another charity challenge after undergoing surgery later this year.
He added: “I have a date in March for another MRI scan and I am hoping surgery will take place in April or May.
"I am responding really well to the treatment I have received so far so everything seems to be heading in the right direction.”
Donations towards the appeal can still be made until March 7 via his Roger Miller Facebook page.
Further details about the Cancer Research UK challenge are also available at www.cancerresearchuk.org/ run56challenge-faqs