A man from Manchester is set to run both the Manchester and Belfast marathons in memory of his father, who tragically died from a brain tumour.
Luke Peel, 23, is taking on the epic races, each 26.2-miles long, in April and May to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. The challenge comes after his father, Nigel, passed away in 2016 at the age of 48, less than two years after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
Nigel’s brain tumour symptoms began in April 2014 when he began feeling unsteady, clipping lamp posts and kerbs while driving. After severe headaches, he was referred for an emergency CT scan at Chorley Hospital, where a mass was discovered on the right side of his brain. Further tests confirmed it was glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour with a typical prognosis of 12 to 18 months.
Despite undergoing a craniotomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the tumour regrew and Nigel (above) sadly died, on January 28ᵗʰ 2016.
Luke has been running for three years, having completed the Manchester Marathon in 2024 and raising more than £1,500 for Brain Tumour Research. This year, he is pushing himself further by running the Manchester Marathon on 27ᵗʰ April and the Belfast Marathon on 4ᵗʰ May, just one week apart.
The 23-year-old said: “Training has been tough, especially balancing it with work and other commitments, but I'm part of a great running group called Manchester Road Runners who I regularly run with.
“Thinking about Dad and what he went through helps me keep going. He’d probably think I was crazy for doing two in a week, but I know he'd be so proud of me.”
You can donate to us via Luke’s Brain Tumour Research JustGiving page.
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