'I love a challenge and I love a battle'

A runner has spoken of his joy at finishing the London Marathon in his fastest ever time after having only last year being diagnosed with two brain tumours, one the size of a tennis ball.

George Wade, 41, from Thirsk, in North Yorkshire, had undergone five operations - one of which left him temporarily unable to walk - before taking part in April's race.

Despite initially feeling "hopeless" following his treatment, and amid doctors' warnings that his condition was life-limiting, he was able to take up running again.

Mr Wade, who finished last month's London Marathon in three hours and 16 minutes, said: "I was really pleased it all went well and it was my fastest ever marathon."

Mr Wade said he started suffering from light sensitivity and stroke-like symptoms in April 2024, as well as weakness down his left side.

He was an experienced marathon runner and "super fit", so assumed it was just a hangover or tiredness.

But after a "precautionary" MRI scan, it was found that in fact he had two tumours - a grade four astrocytoma tumour the size of a tennis ball on the right side of his brain and another golf ball-sized growth in the middle of his brain.

Mr Wade said: "Weirdly, in my head, one would have been OK, but two…

"You know, if you've got two brain tumours, surely you just die."

Doctors told Mr Wade he might have had the tumours for up to 20 years and his symptoms were caused when his brain "eventually just ran out of space".

He was referred to UCL Hospital and in June he underwent an eight-hour surgery, known as a "de-bulking", to remove the larger tumour.

When he woke up, he could not open his left hand or walk, so had to work with physiotherapists to regain movement.

Mr Wade said re-learning to walk on his own made him feel like running a marathon was a "million miles away", but within two days he was able to walk and within a month he could run.

He said: "I love a challenge and I love a battle. I'm 41 and super fit and I'm determined we're going to battle through it."

Although Mr Wade is still being treated for a recurring skin infection, he said he still felt "incredibly fit and healthy" now.

"I kind of thought I was fit enough to get a Personal Best, but there's no way I would have got through this without the support of my family, friends and particularly my wife Eleanor."

Claire Wood Hill, chief executive of The National Brain Appeal charity, said the £19,000 Mr Wade had raised by running the London Marathon would go towards "finding new ways to diagnose, treat and ultimately cure a range of neurological conditions".

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