A DEVOTED runner will be taking part in the Sage Reading Half Marathon, as well as several other runs, to support a friend who has recently been diagnosed with cancer.
Reading Buses employee Jake Osman will begin his series of charity runs on Sunday (March 17) with the half marathon, before tackling the Race to the Tower in June 8, which involves 52 miles of trails in the Cotswolds.
Jake's aim is to run this in about 13 hours.
Then, on June 15, keen athlete Jake will be taking part in Endure 24, a 24-hour race at Wasing Park.
Jake, 36, doesn't want to end his fundraising challenges there.
He said: "I will be in a team of two with my wife Nicki and we will both be aiming to run around 50 miles fuelled by little more than caffeine and bloody-mindedness!
"I’m definitely going to add more miles with more races planned later on in the year, hopefully including at least one marathon and another half marathon or two."
Jake has set up a fundraising page as part of the ‘Reading Buses Super team page’ on the Cancer Research UK fundraising platform, which ensures that every penny raised goes to the charity. The link for donations is:
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/jakes-ultra-pain
Jake is pleased to say that his friend is responding ‘really well’ to treatment.
“She’s been really positive about the whole thing and that has inspired me to fundraise for Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens and help to find better treatments and, longer term, hopefully a cure.
“Every pound counts, so it would be lovely for as many people as possible to donate – even if it is literally just £1. And if people don’t want to donate online, they can donate £3 to Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens by texting KIDS to 70200,” he added.
Cathy Talbot, local Fundraising Manager for Cancer Research UK, said: ‘’We’re so grateful for Jake’s incredible fundraising efforts to help fund research to find new, better and kinder treatments for children and young people with cancer.
“We will be following Jake’s journey and wishing him the best of luck,’’ she added.
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