Marathon in memory of 11-year-old cancer fundraiser

A woman is set to run the London Marathon in April in memory of an 11-year-old boy who died from an aggressive form of brain cancer

Finlay Church was diagnosed with a glioblastoma and had raised more than £100,000 for children's charities before his death in 2015.

Sue Warman 45, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, who said her son was best friends with Finlay's younger brother, will run the 26.2 miles (42.2km) in April to fundraise for Brain Tumour Research.

"Brain tumours are devastating and, once you start talking about them, you realise just how common they are," she said.

Finlay's mother, Penny Church, added: "It means more to us than words can say that Sue is running the London Marathon in Finlay's memory, 10 years after we lost him.

"Knowing that people continue to remember Fin and fight for change keeps his spirit alive."

During his illness, Finlay's fundraising feats included becoming a Guinness World Record holder for the longest line of teddy bears.

Another world record was set in his memory when friends and family created the longest line of hats on what would have been his 12th birthday.

Carol Robertson, from Brain Tumour Research, praised the fundraising efforts of Warman and others.

"Their fundraising directly supports vital research into brain tumours, one of the most underfunded and devastating forms of cancer," she added.

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