Local runner’s first Marathon effort to beat breast cancer

Press Release For immediate release: 14 March 2011 Press contact: Louise Garrahan, Media Relations Officer, Breast Cancer Campaign, DD 0207 749 3724, Email: lgarrahan@breastcancercampaign.org Local runner’s first Marathon effort to beat breast cancer Budding runner Jan Casson from Wallsend, Tyne and Wear has been pounding the pavements in training for her first London Marathon in aid of Breast Cancer Campaign. The Complementary Therapist, who has completed five Great North Runs, will head to London for the 26.2mile race on Sunday 17 April in memory of her mother Gladys who sadly passed away from breast cancer in 1981 and also in memory of her friend Alison who died from the disease in 2009. Jan is also running to support her sister Cath Lyon who was diagnosed in 2005, her stepmother Rose and friend Anne who are also being treated. Jan said: “I’m really excited to take on the London Marathon as it’ll be such a big achievement on top of all the Great North Runs I’ve completed. I’m thrilled to have raised more than £10,000 to help Breast Cancer Campaign beat breast cancer and while this will probably be my only London Marathon, I really hope people will dig deep and give generously to support this very worthwhile cause.” If you would like to sponsor Jan, please visit www.justigiving.com/janet-casson0 (please include the ‘zero’ on the end of the justgiving page) and donate what you can. This year around 48,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK and sadly approximately 12,000 will die from this disease. So if you have a guaranteed place in this year’s Virgin London Marathon and would like to make a difference to the lives of all those affected by breast cancer, please join Jan on Campaign’s team. For more information, please call the Events team on 0207 749 4114 or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org If you have your own place there is no minimum sponsorship amount and each runner who signs up will receive a fundraising pack including a Breast Cancer Campaign running vest, sponsorship forms and lots of support from the charity on the day. ENDS Picture caption: Jan Casson (left) with sister Cath Lyon at the Great North Run 2010 Notes to editors • Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure • Currently it supports 84 research projects, worth over £15.9 million, in 31 centres of excellence across the UK and Ireland • Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women • In the UK, nearly 48,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 130 a day • Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org • Read Chief Executive Pamela Goldberg’s blog http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.com/

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