Pensioner completes Berlin marathon for cancer charity

A Frome man has raised £2,000 for a local cancer charity after completing his first marathon at the age of 70.

Dave Francis completed the Berlin marathon in 4 hours, 42 minutes and 43 seconds, running in memory of three close friends who died of cancer in recent years.

He took on the challenge to raise money for WHY (We Hear You), a Frome-based charity which provides specialist counselling and emotional support for children and adults affected by cancer or other life-threatening conditions.

Dave’s achievement came decades after a serious football injury left him wondering whether he would ever run again.

When he broke his leg aged 40 while playing for Frome Collegians, the surgeon who repaired his ankle and tibia told him he could expect a reasonable recovery, provided he did not want to run a marathon.

However, many years later, Dave has become a regular attendee of parkrun and has completed two Frome half marathons in under two hours.

He said, “I originally tried to do a parkrun but broke down with arthritic knee pain. However, after following the BBC’s ‘Couch to 5K’ programme I was eventually able to run for 30 minutes without stopping and I am now a regular park runner. After completing two Frome half marathons, a full marathon was the next big target.”

The Berlin marathon took place in hot conditions, just days after Dave’s 70th birthday.

Both Dave and his wife, Denise Cush, say that completing a marathon was a ‘one-off’ and ‘not to be repeated.’

Dave has lived in Frome since 1986. He taught religious education at Frome College for ten years before working as an education adviser and consultant.

Anyone who would like to support the charity can make a donation at www.wehearyou.enthuse.com/pf/dave-francis-berlin-marathon.