Laura Nuttall's family 'honoured' to run marathon

Gracie and Nicola Nuttall said they were next setting their sights on the London Marathon

Cancer campaigner Laura Nuttall's mum and sister said it was a "real honour" to have run a marathon on behalf of hundreds of people who had died of brain tumours or had siblings "stolen too soon".

Laura Nuttall, from Barrowford in Lancashire, was diagnosed with brain cancer at 19 and made headlines after ticking off a bucket list of ambitions before her death, aged 23, two years ago.

Her mum Nicola and sister Gracie completed the Chicago Marathon on Sunday to raise money for the Be More Laura Foundation and a charity that Gracie works for called Sibling Support.

Nicola and Gracie, who finished together in five hours and 25 minutes, ran in tutus featuring the names of 300 brain tumour patients.

'An emotional experience'

Laura had glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.

Diagnosed after a routine eye test in 2018, she was only given a year to live.

However, she went on to work her way through a list of ambitions, which saw her meet Michelle Obama, command a Royal Navy ship, graduate from the University of Manchester and present the weather on BBC North West Tonight.

Gracie told BBC Radio Lancashire the run in Chicago had been an emotional experience at times.

"When it got really hard I was thinking 'you are running this for people who aren't going to get the chance to do this'."

Nicola said: "It was a real honour to have 300 names on our tutus and not many people dress up in the US and we did stand out a bit.

"Those names really do carry you through because it's so important to do something that continues the legacies of all those people."

Gracie, who was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome while training for the big race, said she was going to take on the London Marathon in April 2026.

Nicola, who has now completed 24 marathons including nine in London, said she would probably join Gracie on the start line.