Local runner’s second marathon to help fund breast cancer research in memory of Dad

Press Release For immediate release: 8 February 2010 Press contact: Louise Garrahan, Media Relations Officer, Breast Cancer Campaign, DD 0207 749 3724, Email: lgarrahan@breastcancercampaign.org Local runner’s second marathon to help fund breast cancer research in memory of Dad Budding runner, Alex Adames from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, has pulled on her running shoes for a second time to train for the Virgin London Marathon for Breast Cancer Campaign. The financial operations manager will celebrate her 30th birthday by joining thousands of runners on the starting line on Sunday 25 April in memory of her father, George, who sadly passed away from breast cancer in 1994. Last year, Alex completed the marathon in four hours 54 minutes and raised a whopping £6,000 to fund breast cancer research. She said: “I have been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to run the London Marathon on behalf of Breast Cancer Campaign for the second year running. I want to raise awareness of this illness as, although it is most common in women, it also poses a significant risk to men, for which very few people are aware. Unfortunately this tends to result in the cancer being more advanced and harder to treat when diagnosed. She added: “I lost my father to breast cancer over 15 years ago after he tragically lost his seven-year battle with it and I still see a huge disparity of awareness of this in men. I was lucky enough to be offered one of the limited golden bond places from Campaign last year and not quite knowing how big a challenge I was setting myself, I completed a tough, emotional and physical journey getting to marathon day. Participating on the day and completing the marathon was an amazing achievement and I know that my dad was there with me and was proud of his little girl.” Alex aims to raise as much as possible for her marathon challenge, so if you would like to sponsor Alex, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/AlexAdames and donate what you can. If you have a ballot place in this year’s Virgin London Marathon and would like to join Alex on Campaign’s running team, please call the Events team on 0207 749 3700 or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org. As a Campaign runner you will automatically become a member of Linford’s All Stars – a new exclusive club captained by Linford Christie, who offers supporters helpful training tips and nutritional advice. Ends Picture caption: Alex Adames at the London Marathon 2009 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 112 research projects, worth over £16.8 million, in 42 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 46,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 125 a day • Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org • Read Chief Executive Pamela Goldberg’s blog http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.com/ • Breast Cancer Campaign is campaigning for all candidates standing for election to Westminster to sign up to the breast cancer research pledge: www.breastcancercampaign.org/election

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