On Sunday 28th April 2019, Michelin-starred Chef Paul Ainsworth ran the Virgin Money London Marathon, raising over £43,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Exceeding his original target of £30,000, Paul ran the 26.2 mile course in an impressive 5 hours and 24 minutes alongside family friend Graham Senior. Paul chose Pancreatic Cancer UK in honour of his father, whom he lost to the disease in 2015. The money raised will aid Pancreatic Cancer UK’s research which aims to develop detection tools and techniques that will identify pancreatic cancer at a stage where it can be treated and cured.
Paul comments: “I’m so relieved to have completed the marathon. It was the most incredible, brutal and emotional experience of my life. Thank you to everyone who came out to support and to all those who donated – you’ve no idea how much it means to me. Having seen my father suffer from pancreatic cancer, I know the devastation it can cause to both the patient and family. With it being one of the hardest cancers to identify, often it is too late to cure sufferers which is a heart-breaking reality for many. I am broken, battered and bruised but still smiling.”
Diana Jupp, CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “Huge congratulations to Paul for not only completing the Virgin London Marathon, but smashing his fundraising target! We’re so proud of him and the whole team who ran to help us beat the deadliest common cancer. Currently less than seven per cent of people with pancreatic cancer will live for five years. The hours sacrificed to training and the miles covered by our runners will help us change that appalling statistic and make a real difference to patients and their families. The money they have raised will ensure our specialist nurses can provide the support those affected need, and that we can invest in the world-class research needed to find new treatments for this devastating disease.”
For Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November, Paul will also be supporting the ‘Purple Alert’ campaign which is dedicated to increasing the understanding of the symptoms and support of patients suffering from the cancer. A recent statistic from Pancreatic Cancer UK found that 1 in 4 people won’t survive for a month after diagnosis and 3 in 4 won’t survive for a year after diagnosis, making it the deadliest common cancer.
Paul’s Virgin Money sponsorship page is still open for donations – https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Paul–Graham6
