Ben Bate ran the London Marathon for Sarcoma UK in 2021. Wearing a large bone costume to help raise awareness of the cancer, Ben set a new Guinness World Record for Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Body Part (male), with a time of 03:49:14.

Ben ran with six other runners as part of ‘Tom’s Team’ including Tom’s wife, Kirsty Makin. The runners raised more than £100,000 collectively for Sarcoma UK by taking part in the 2021 London Marathon.

Ben is a resident and gym owner in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. He ran the London Marathon in memory of his late friend and client, Tom Makin. In 2019, Tom sadly passed away from osteosarcoma. Tom was just 29 years old and left behind two daughters aged just three and eight weeks old.

In 2020, Tom’s friends Luke, Jack, Ryan, Ashleigh, Fliss and his wife Kirsty ran the virtual London Marathon to raise vital funds for Sarcoma UK, with Ben as their trainer. Ben says: "Tom was an amazing guy, kind, generous and full of life. He touched the lives of so many people and we hope that by raising money for Sarcoma UK, the team and Tom are able to help others in the future."

Richard Davidson, Chief Executive of Sarcoma UK, said: "The charity was overwhelmed by the response to Ben and the team at the 2021 London Marathon. Not only have they raised a transformative amount to support people affected by this relatively rare cancer, but Ben’s eye-catching costume has brought awareness of sarcoma in such a high-profile way.

"It’s been hard to think of anything else but Covid for a long time, but we can’t forget about the terrible effects cancer continues to have on so many and will continue to do so long after the pandemic."

Sarcoma UK was there for Tom and his family and has also supported Ben with all his fundraising efforts. We are a national charity that funds vital research, offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer and campaigns for better treatments. We are the only cancer charity in the UK that focuses on all types of sarcoma. Running with Team Sarcoma means more positive outcomes for people like Tom.

Everyone who runs with us receives personal support, fundraising materials and loads of enthusiastic advice throughout their training and on the day itself. We’re with you every step of the way. To sign up now, click here.