London Marathon runner raises more than £5k inspired by Bedford brother fighting brain cancer

The brother of a brain tumour patient has run the TCS London Marathon to help raise funds for a charity that is searching for a cure for the disease.

Graeme Dilley’s brother, Adam Dilley, who lives in Wixams, was just weeks away from becoming a first-time dad when, in October 2021, he found out he had a glioblastoma (GBM), a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that has a devastatingly short prognosis of just 12 to 18 months.

Adam’s tumour is currently stable but, inspired by his journey, which has involved a craniotomy – filmed as part of the BBC 2 series Surgeons: At the Edge of Life – radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Graeme decided to run the iconic 26.2-mile race in aid of the charity Brain Tumour Research.

The 34-year-old from Enfield, who has previously run the Berlin Marathon, said: “My last marathon was four years ago but it feels more like eight in terms of ageing. London was by far the best one and it was definitely more emotional than my last. I did it for a charity previously but I had a close personal connection to the cause this time.

“The work Brain Tumour Research does and the money we've raised for it means so much. The day was amazing and I hope the money we've raised will contribute towards finding a cure and finding new treatments.

“It's also a big thing to know you're doing it as such a large cohort of runners, and the crowds, despite the weather, were phenomenal. My watch kept going off to tell me it was too loud! It was absolutely incredible but I'm never doing it again!”

His dad Mark, who lives in Clifton, watched the race from Canary wharf, and said: "When we saw Graeme, he stopped and gave us all a hug, which was nice. It's just a sea of humanity, and very emotional to be a part of. It's a shame so many people have a reason to run, but it's great that they do it.”

Adam, who was also there to cheer his brother on, said: “I'm very proud of him, and fair play because I couldn't do it.”

Graeme completed the race in 4:15:57, raising more than £5,000 for the charity.

Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.”

Brain Tumour Research is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

To support Graeme’s fundraising, visit his JustGiving page.