Northampton man prepares for London Marathon in dad’s memory after he died from incurable brain tumour

A Northampton carpenter who lost his dad to brain cancer is preparing to run a marathon for charity in his memory.

Ben Rivans will run the TCS London Marathon on Sunday April 21 in aid of Brain Tumour Research.

His inspiration to run comes from his dad, Alan Rivans, who passed away in January 2022, 17 months after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour known as glioblastoma.

Allan, a father-of-two who worked as head of procurement for the Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy but, sadly, died aged 56.

Ben said: “Dad woke up one morning feeling like he’d had a lot to drink the night before. As well as having a headache, he was struggling to speak properly. He went to the hospital and it was initially thought he’d had a stroke but, after a few scans, he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.

“It was shocking to witness how quickly the brain tumour affected him. The 17 months after his diagnosis flew by and everything was over at the click of a finger.

“Dad was a joker who always knew how to make you smile. I really miss him, we all do.”

Ben plays for the Old Northamptonians RFC first team and has begun running his official training programme.

The 24-year old said: “I’m excited about the race more than anything but it is a bit daunting when you get home after an hour’s run and realise that on the day you’ll need to run an extra three or four hours. It’s the amount of continuous running that’ll be the biggest challenge.”

Ben’s fundraising has received a boost from Old Northamptonians RFC under-16s player Ollie Jackson, who ran a 10K and donated half of his sponsorship money to the cause.

Ben said: “That was a really lovely gesture from Ollie but I’m still doing all I can to raise as much money as possible for Brain Tumour Research. My hope is what’s raised will help find a cure for brain tumours and prevent other families and friends from losing loved ones in the future.”

Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “With one in three people knowing someone affected by a brain tumour, Ben’s story is, sadly, not unique. Brain tumours kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer, more women under 35 than breast cancer and more children than leukaemia, yet just one percent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

“We’re determined to change this but we can’t do it alone. We’re really grateful for Ben’s support and look forward to cheering him across the finish line in April. Together we will find a cure.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

To support Ben’s fundraising, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ben-Rivans-London-Marathon2024.