Tom Durnin didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he took on the iconic London Marathon last weekend.
The Banbury local stole the heart of millions as the final participant to complete the 26.2-mile route across central London.
Tom completed the renowned sporting event in 8hrs 10min 58sec and was met with cheers of victory as he crossed the finish line.
A heartwarming video of Tom was posted online by the official TCS London Marathon and went viral across social media, clocking up 7.2m views on TikTok, 2.5m plays on Instagram and 47.3k reactions on Facebook at the time of writing.
The marathon was a challenge Tom did not think he would be attempting after suffering a bleed on the brain and breaking his arm in a car accident in December 2022.
This drastically hindered his training, meaning he was not able to properly prepare for the event and only managed to run 7km beforehand.
Two days after completing the marathon Tom visited his local hospital for a check-up, with tests showing that his arm was still broken from the crash.
He has since raised a phenomenal £15,000 and counting for Freddie's Future, a Special Fund of the Bone Cancer Research Trust.
Commenting on his newfound fame, Tom said:
I cannot believe the support and publicity this has attracted when I was just forcing myself to the finish line. It is absolutely mental how this has happened, but I am so pleased to be raising vital awareness and funds for this amazing charity.
Laura Riach, Head of Fundraising and Communications at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, said:
Tom is an absolute inspiration and shows the importance of never giving up. His commitment to finishing the marathon shows real strength of character, and I would like to wish my heartfelt congratulations to him for smashing his fundraising target and raising significant awareness of primary bone cancer.
There's still time to show Tom your support by visiting his JustGiving page:
To find out more about Freddie's Future, please click the link below: