My Story

The London Marathon beckons for a third consecutive time, which proves I’m still in the midst of my very specific and very sweaty mid-life crisis! It’ll be my second time fundraising for The Institute of Cancer Research – the amazing organisation I work for and am very proud to support again.

This year will carry extra meaning for me. As many of you know, we lost my most perfect and wonderful Mum, Jane Burrows, in August last year. She was 81 years old and died of metastasised ovarian cancer, having had symptoms for years. She chose not to seek any diagnosis or treatment – an option many with cancer symptoms still choose to take – and we of course fully respected that and supported her. One of the things she did tell me towards the end was “Get yourself checked Rach.” So, I know she would want me and all the family to get diagnosed and treated should we ever develop cancer.

The ICR helped pioneer olaparib, one of the first targeted treatments for BRCA‑related ovarian cancer, and part of a wider move away from a blunt, one‑size‑fits‑all chemotherapy approach. Today, treatments such as other PARP inhibitors, maintenance therapies and newer targeted drugs can be better tailored to the individual, often with fewer or more manageable side effects.

I asked many of you for donations only two years ago and you gave so generously. I’m fully aware that repeatedly rattling the same tin is not a sustainable long‑term strategy. So please don’t feel any obligation - especially if funds are currently being directed towards the far more urgent business of living. But if you can afford to give - even a little - I’d be hugely grateful. Every donation helps The ICR continue their research to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. 

To add an element of sporting chaos, I’m also attempting to become a Guinness World Record Holder for the fastest female marathon runner dressed as a tennis player! 

Whilst I've only ever played socially and had some lessons as a kid, my Mum was an excellent tennis player, winning many accolades in both ladies and partnering my Dad in mixed. We all have great memories of enjoying our days at the tennis club when I was little. So, I’ll be honouring her in full whites, carrying a tennis racket in one hand, a tennis ball in the other, and a tennis bag containing four further rackets, because apparently one simply isn’t enough to run 26.2 miles. Sadly, I’m not allowed to use any of the rackets to bat people out the way through crowded sections (I did ask), so I’ll just have to rely on polite apologies, careful manoeuvring, and the hope that nobody mistakes this for Wimbledon warm‑ups.

Mum was so kind, loving and selfless - she always had time for me and my brother and her 5 grandchildren. We all love her and miss her beyond words every day. This run, fundraising and record attempt is for her, and for everyone affected by cancer, whatever their age and wherever they are on their journey.

Thank you so much for reading, for supporting, for cheering, or simply for tolerating my annual marathon‑related life choices.

If you’re able to donate, please click the green "donate now" button on this page. And if not, a share or a supportive message honestly means the world - thank you.

About The Institute of Cancer Research

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world's most influential cancer research institutes, with an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. Every day they are finding innovative ways of detecting cancers, discovering new treatment options and producing life-changing research.

Every donation is a part of what keeps cancer research moving forward every day. They help fund the routine yet essential tasks that build toward major discoveries.

£20 could pay for some PCR primers – short DNA sequences used to identify cancer-related genes.

£50 could buy one large box of pipette tips, which are used daily during experiments.

£100 could power a high-resolution microscope for an hour, enabling scientists to closely examine cancer cells and track how they respond to treatments.

Help us reach the finishing line. Together we can finish cancer.