Marathon runner met by sick daughter at finish

A woman from Cornwall who completed the London Marathon to raise money for research into childhood cancers said seeing her daughter at the finish line made "all her emotions come out".

Heather Wilson, from Probus, near Truro, was competing in Sunday's event as a tribute to her eight-year-old daughter, Bonnie, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer, just before Christmas 2023.

Bonnie has since had chemotherapy, immunotherapy and surgery to remove part of her femur - but now has "clear test results".

Miss Wilson said Bonnie, who has been using a wheelchair since her recovery, met her at several points along the 26.2 mile (42.2 km) route, and finally at the finishing line near Buckingham Palace.

"It was hard and it was hot, but it was absolutely brilliant. I loved every minute of it, which I'm not sure many people can say in a marathon," Miss Wilson told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"The atmosphere was incredible, and I couldn't stop crying when I saw Bonnie's face at the end.

"All the emotions just came out, and the tears flowed for quite a while," she said.

Miss Wilson completed the marathon in five hours and 15 minutes, and said the crowd were a big boost to the more than 50,000 runners.

"They say that you almost hit a psychological wall at about mile 16, and it's really a mental challenge from that point," she explained.

"But the crowd were really, really good, and from mile 20 onwards, that's when you think: wow, I've just done 20 miles, and I've only got 6 more to go."

Miss Wilson was raising money for the charity Children with Cancer UK.

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