Local runner Mark Bousie will take on the London Marathon in honour of his late father-in-law.

When Mike Sadler, a fit and healthy 63-year-old, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2020, his family was taken aback by the news.

Then, just six weeks after his diagnosis, Mike passed away.

This devastating reality was incomprehensible for those that loved Mike. Brain tumour survival rates currently stand at just 11% and treatments haven’t changed in 40 years.

By the time that Mike was admitted to hospital, it was too late. No treatment was available, and the disease was already at an advanced stage.

Striving to ensure that no other family is forced to suffer this ordeal, Mike’s family set up a trust fund in his name, raising as much money as possible for The Brain Tumour Charity.

As a keen runner, Mark Bousie knew he wanted to set himself an immense challenge to support his father-in-law.

“All the family are doing their bit to raise money. My thing is running, and I wanted to do something substantial.

“That’s when I thought about the London Marathon, it’s an incredibly well-known race and I wanted to do something that stood out.

“I’ve been applying for London for years, but never got a place. So, I decided to apply for the charity. I went through a rigorous application process because the charity places are so well sought after,” Mark said.

Having completed many running events before, Mark said that this one will be different, expecting an emotional day for the family.

He will be joined on his journey to the capital by his lovely wife Jayne, two son’s Harry and Charlie and his brother-in-law.

A known figure in the Tameside running community, Mark credits his passion for the sport to the borough.

He recalls a funny time in his life, his earliest memory of running.

“When I was a teenager, I used to run up and down my parent’s garden in a bid to shed some weight.

“I would then stop this once it served its purpose, but the cycle would always continue. Bouts of unhealthy eating and running to change my routine.

“However, when I moved to Tameside in 2015, I discovered parkrun and I loved being a part of the running community,” he said.

Becoming an Audenshaw resident and meeting the many local groups was monumental for Mark’s running. Soon he met his first group, Daddies Escape and not long after, Hyde Running Community.

A regular at Hyde parkrun, Mark says he loves the event. In fact, he often travels to different parks across the nation to immerse himself within the community and find even more great routes.

But his running now is solely focused on London. Battling injuries, Mark has been unable to train as much as he wanted, yet he will let nothing stop him from completing the marathon.

“This race will be much more about the cause, rather than actually running. I’ve not set a time to complete it as the most important thing is raising as much as possible for The Brain Tumour Charity,” said Mark.

He has been set the challenge of raising £2700 for the charity as per the terms of his race place. As a member of Foden’s Band, Mark is planning on placing donation buckets at upcoming concerts.

Mark says he is incredibly thankful to anyone who is able to donate, especially amidst the hardships many are facing currently.

If you’d like to donate and help Mark on his journey, you can do so here.

See more on The Brain Tumour Charity here:

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