Marathon dad from Shoreham is '˜raring to go again'

John Dale, sales manager at Jacobs Steel, Shoreham, completed this year’s Brighton Marathon in three hours, 24 minutes and beat his fundraising target to raise more than £500 for Cancer Research.

The 41-year-old father said he loved the event and is ‘raring to go again’, so much so that he has already secured a place for the 2019 marathon.

He said he was inspired to take on the race, which he described as ‘the biggest challenge of his life’, by loved ones who had fought cancer.

He said: “It’s the minimum I can do.

“My grandad lost the fight against cancer in May, 2016, which will always hurt me and my family, yet I always say good morning to him every single day as I know he is looking over us.

“Some have won the fight, which I feel grateful for, but too many lose the fight and have done in my extended family and friends network.”

Mr Dale, who has a four-year-old son called Teddi, experienced his own cancer scare in 2014, when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Just a week later, he underwent traumatic surgery lasting eight and a half hours to have it removed.

It was four months before he could return to work and two years until he made a full recovery.

He said: “It was tougher for the people around me, seeing me go through that.”

On completing the marathon four years later, he said: “I was especially pleased to give my amazing family a cuddle and kiss at the end.”

John’s wife, Jo, said: “I couldn’t feel any more proud of my husband.

“Through rain, wind, even snow, bloody, sweat and tears he was out every morning at 5.30am training.

“Teddi and I are so truly proud of you.”

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