Essex dad who vowed to take on London Marathon after cancer treatment runs for charity

A determined cancer survivor who always knew he would get cancer is running the London Marathon for Guy’s Cancer Charity.  

Gary Richardson, 45, had no symptoms when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022. Following surgery to remove his prostate in April 2023 he returned home to find the London Marathon on TV. In that moment Gary vowed to get back to fitness and set himself the challenge of running his first ever marathon the following year, to mark getting through the year ahead.

Gary, a chauffeur from Hornchurch, Essex, is no stranger to cancer. His mum passed away from breast cancer, his dad died after his own battle with bowel cancer, and his older brother was diagnosed with prostate cancer less than a year before he was. It was this diagnosis that prompted him to get tested. Gary said:

Every one of my blood relatives bar one has had cancer - so I always knew I was going to get cancer - I was just surprised at how young I was.

Following his diagnosis, Gary had a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy at Guy’s Hospital. This precise keyhole surgery allows the surgical team to remove the tumour whilst limiting damage to the surrounding areas, including any tattoos. Gary said:

Ahead of the surgery I was scared and in tears, but the nurse that was with me was the best nurse in the world – he made me laugh so much and was the best person to be with.

Thanks to a successful procedure, Gary is now in remission. However, a year on from his treatment, he admits that he is continuing to come to terms with his diagnosis. Gary, who has been married for 25 years to his wife, Alison, and has a 23-year old son, Josh, said: “The after effects hit me harder than anything I could have imagined or prepared for.

“I am a completely different person. Physically, emotionally and mentally I am having to re-learn and re-find how to be me, while at the same time, coming to terms with the fact that the new me will be slightly not as good as the old me. It's a journey and I'm still at the start.

“I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but it’s harder for me to be happy. My father-in-law joked that maybe I was too happy in life and now I feel like every other person. But I’m having to relearn how to be happy, and this is hard to get your head around.”

Just as he vowed a year earlier, Gary is preparing to run the 2024 TCS London Marathon in April. He has run several half marathons before but this is his first ever marathon. Gary said: “I use running as my therapy. When I’m running there is nothing else, I am in complete control and only answerable to myself.

I am using this as an achievement to mark getting through the year. You just have to keep moving forward and put one foot in front of another, both physically and mentally.

He is running for Guy’s Cancer Charity to give something back to the team that were there when he needed them most.

Guy’s Cancer Charity supports Guy’s Cancer to transform cancer care through the very latest developments in personalised care. This includes supporting the future generation of robotic surgeons so that more patients, like Gary, can benefit from the pioneering precise robotic surgery.

Mr Paul Cathcart, Gary’s surgeon, said: “It’s fantastic that Gary is running the marathon for us just one year after his surgery. Using precise robotic techniques means that among many benefits our patients are able to recover quicker and get home sooner. The London Marathon is a tremendous achievement - and we wish him the best of luck.” 

Sally Cornish, Interim Director of Fundraising at Guy’s Cancer Charity, said: “It’s due to fundraisers like Gary that we are able to support Guy’s Cancer and help patients access the very best personalised treatment and care in the most difficult times. We are cheering on Gary, and all our incredible marathon runners, the whole way.”

To support Gary visit his fundraising page.