Man to run 116 miles along the Jurassic coast in homage to his mum

Josh Tucker grew up in Poole, and he sadly received the news that his mum had been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.

To raise funds for Target Ovarian Cancer, which helps women suffering from the disease, Josh is running four ‘ultra marathons’ across four days, hoping to raise £5,000.

Josh said: “It was a massive shock when mum got diagnosed. It was a realisation that life can throw curveballs at you.

“I wanted to do something that was challenging and was big enough that it could raise a good amount of money for the charity.”

In 2023, Josh’s mum underwent six months of chemotherapy and an eight-hour operation, which resulted in a hysterectomy and the removal of her spleen. Sadly, her cancer has returned.

The 116-mile route has an elevation gain of 5,450 metres, which is higher than Mont Blanc and four times the height of Ben Nevis.

Josh’s brother will be meeting him along the way with food and drinks, as well as pitching up his tent in various campsites in between the ultra-marathons.

“The fact that I grew up in the South of England and this mission itself is along the epic Jurassic Coast which is a renowned World Heritage site that I was privileged enough to spend a lot of my childhood visiting as well as ending the run in my home town of Poole means that this challenge will mean a huge amount to me,” Josh added.

The aspiring actor and TV presenter has been documenting his journey on Instagram under the hashtag thread #runformum.

Josh said that the gruelling challenge will be professionally filmed for a YouTube series.

He added: “My mum is very touched by the number of donations that have come through already.

“This is definitely the furthest I have ever run, and I have never done anything like this before.

“Understandably she is a little worried, but I think she is very proud.”

To donate to Josh’s fundraising page, visit: Josh Tucker is fundraising for Target Ovarian Cancer (justgiving.com)