McCormick family to run the Yorkshire Marathon Festival

The McCormick family, with roots in York, will be running this year’s Yorkshire Marathon Festival to raise much needed funds for Prostate Cancer UK, a charity very close to their hearts.

 Following a prostate cancer diagnosis of Grandad McCormick back in 2012, Dad Andy set himself the challenge to complete one 12 marathons across the course of a year – one every month.

Fast forward ten years to 2022, Andy himself was presented with his own Prostate cancer diagnosis. A keen runner, footballer, runner, and cyclist, the diagnosis provided a huge shock to the family.

Flying the flag for the Yorkshire Marathon weekend in 2022, it was then that Andy decided to tell everyone outside of the family about his cancer diagnosis. Living in Spain, Andy ran the Yorkshire Marathon virtually.

After 7 months of treatment at St James’ University Hospital in Leeds, Andy received the phone call they’d all been waiting for, the cancer had been successfully removed. Andy’s daughter, Gracie said: “My dad, his wife Gill, my sister and two brothers as well as their partners and children are all taking part in the Yorkshire Marathon Festival.

Some of us will be doing the full marathon, some 10 miles and for the kids (and those of us that are seriously unfit) we will be doing the York parkrun the day before. We need to spread this message and raise as much money as we can for Prostate Cancer UK.

The charity has a simple ambition, to stop men dying from prostate cancer. Through shifting the science over the next 10 years to focus on radical improvements in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and support, we will stop prostate cancer being a killer. And finally, a message to dad from us four: “Dad we love you, we’re so proud of the way you handled everything that was thrown your way, you’re an inspiration and truly are the strongest person we know!”