A MIDDLEWICH runner has been inspired to take on a marathon-sized challenge after doctors declared him cancer free.

After taking part in the Middlewich 5k, Glen Ramsey plans on running the London Marathon in 2019 in aid of Bowel Cancer UK.

He said: “I have chosen to try and raise the huge amount of money because I believe it’s worth every penny to prevent others having to go through what I did. I will be running the London Marathon with Jacki Walker and Simon Willocks and we would be grateful to receive any donations towards our £10,000 goal.”

One in 14 men, or seven per cent, will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime, which is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, after breast, prostate and lung cancers.

Glen discovered his bowel cancer in September 2017.

Most people with bowel cancer are diagnosed when they are over the age of 50. But more than 2,500 people under 50, like 44-year-old Glen, are diagnosed each year in the UK.

He said: “I failed to spot the signs of bowel cancer. Now I look back, the symptoms look so obvious.

“The reality is that this illness does not discriminate. Regardless of your age, you should pay attention to changes in your body.

“I put up with my symptoms for as long as an estimated five years before I visited my GP. And even then, it took six months before I was diagnosed.”

The father-of-two documented every day on his Twitter account (@24hrswithcancer), from diagnosis and treatment to general life with cancer. He received the all-clear in March 2018 after his six-month battle with the disease and it was not long after that he began running again.

With the Middlewich 5k taking place on his doorstep, Glen tried to secure a place but missed out once when all 200 places were sold

At that time, he remembered the disappointment but also knew he would be too ill to run.

Glen received an email from Run Middlewich, the event organisers, on the Friday before the race saying that a place had become available.

He was advised by doctors to walk if taking part, due to his open wound from previous surgeries.

During the race, Glen decided to live stream his first post-cancer run. He said: “Watching it back, my emotions spill over at several points during the race. I was crying, and it was a huge release physically and emotionally.”

Now, he is starting his intense training routine in preparation for the upcoming London Marathon, which is due to take place on Sunday, April 28 2019.

To support Glen, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/24hrswithcancer.