Orchid Cancer Appeal

Research from male cancer charity Orchid reveals UK men know more about breast and other women's cancers than those which affect only men

1 in 3 men say they're most knowledgeable about breast cancer compared to 1 in 10 men who are familiar with the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer

1 in 10 women say they don't check their breasts compared to 1 in 4 men who don't check their testes

1 in 3 men are not aware they can check themselves for lumps

Only 1 in 5 men admit to being clued up on prostate cancer

1 in 6 men think prostate cancer can affect women

1 in 4 Brits have a family member or close friend with testicular or prostate cancer

Tom Allan completes the Chicago Marathon 2008 in aid of Orchid

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"Record temperatures expected in Chicago this weekend” blasted the taxi radio as I came in to town. “Great” I thought, “tanning time”. It took a little while to dawn on me that I was actually in Chicago to run a marathon, so blazing sunshine was not exactly what I needed. Indeed in 2007, with heavy humidity and temperatures soaring into the high 80s, the race was stopped after about four hours. Organisers were accused of not supplying enough water, and about 50 people were hospitalised. Cold, wet, dark runs around Hyde Park hadn’t prepared me for this!

Thankfully this time the weather did not detract from what was a great event. Brilliant organisation; fantastic atmosphere; cheering Chicagoans on every corner; and a superb location made this a day to remember. The weather reached the mid 80s late in the morning whilst I was storming (staggering) around the course but with organisers pouring gatorade and water down you at every opportunity thankfully most people got round fine. Chicago is a wonderful city to visit if you’re thinking about running in 2009 and the course is pretty flat if you’re looking to run a PB too.

Many thanks to Orchid for giving me the opportunity to run Chicago; it was a fantastic day and one to remember. Roll on New York!

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