24 Hour Marathon – Three Brothers Running for the Fourth
08 March 2021
Toby, James & Alex have just completed their incredible 24-hour marathon, running 1 mile (and a little extra to get to the 26.2 miles), every hour, over 24 hours, to commemorate 10 years since their brother Tristan passed away due to Neurofibromatosis Type 2.
Tristan was diagnosed with NF2 as a teenager, having several operations that left him with no hearing and facial palsy on one side of his face.
Despite this he met his NF2 head-on, whatever curveball was thrown at him, he always threw it back twice as hard. He learned to lip-read, fitted in time for sport, learnt to drive and continued on with his studies to gain a place at Leicester University.
Tristan demonstrated by his actions, that whatever adversities arise in life one should keep looking at the opportunities that are available and concentrate on those, rather than being overwhelmed by what one cannot do. With that in mind Toby, Alex & James prepared themselves for the Marathon.
The run began on the 5th of March, with James & Alex taking the approach that training wasn’t needed as “it’s only a mile and it won’t be too hard as we have the rest of the hour to recover”. Setting off on the first mile their smiles soon dropped as they realised how long a mile really was, but they were determined to push through and overcome the challenge.
Toby says “one of the biggest challenges we faced was one we did not consider – the stiffness in our legs. By constantly stop starting the lactic acid built up quickly”.
Off to a successful start the marathon started getting really tough around 3am, with all three brothers battling on not knowing whether it was so hard because of running in the cold or simply trying to stay awake.
Nonetheless, they completed the run. Alex and Toby managed to complete the whole distance, with brother James, unfortunately, having to sit out due to an injured ankle. All three brothers are blown away by how much they have raised and by completing this run they have shown that whilst Tristan may not be with them any longer, he is certainly not forgotten.
Their fundraiser is still open and you can support their valiant effort below.
Filter News
Freddie’s motto: “Be kind, be brave and be happy”
Meet Freddie: diagnosed with NF1 as a baby, he loves performing and has a role in soon to be released film Christmas Karma
Read More
Understanding Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1): A surgeon’s thoughts
Christopher Duff is a plastic surgeon working with NF1 patients in Manchester, he answers some common questions from patients
Read More
Understanding NF1: A guide to skin neurofibromas and their treatment
This guide is for people with NF1 and explains what neurofibromas are and what treatments might help.
Read More
Olivia’s NF1 story
Olivia and mam Kelly share their NF1 story, highlighting school achievements and support from NTUK Specialist Nurses
Read More
Revisiting the GCSE class of 2020
Five years on from their GCSEs, we speak to Ella, Thomas and Noah to discover what they have been up to
Read More
Benjamin’s NF1 story
11 year old Benjamin has NF1 and is the inspiration for his family's fundraising
Read More
Lynne Highy joins our team of Specialist NF Advisors
Read all about the newest addition to our team.
Read More
NF Academy 2025: Georgia’s Blog
NTUK ambassador Georgia Baum shares her transformative experience of attending the NF Academy 2025 in Barcelona
Read More