Best friends to run marathon in memory of mums

Childhood friends Olly Jones and Ben Gallon

A pair of best friends who lost their mothers to cancer within a week of each other are taking on a marathon challenge.

After supporting each other through heartbreaking loss, Ben Gallon and Olly Jones are now hoping to support others.

The Newcastle teenagers are preparing to run the Barcelona Marathon in memory of their mums.

The pair are raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Care, as well as awareness of how important it is for boys to be able to share their feelings.

Opening up

Olly, 18, and Ben, 19, met when they were six and both playing football for Newcastle City Juniors.

Ahead of travelling to Barcelona to take part in the marathon with two other friends, they say they hope to make their late mothers proud.

Olly's mum Lorraine was diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2022 and died last November.

Just a week later, Ben's mum Samantha, who had been diagnosed with bowel cancer in October 2022, died after 16 rounds of chemotherapy.

Paying tribute to Lorraine, Olly said: "If I was to describe my mum, I'd talk about how strong she was.

"She was always the funniest person in the room and would always put me before her."

Ben's mum knew her cancer was incurable, but he says it did not stop her from remaining positive.

He said: "She was always trying to make other people happy and sending me nice messages.

"Just seeing her get ill was awful for me."

Olly pictured with his mum Lorraine in a family photograph

Throughout their grief, the boys were there for each other.

They believe the stereotype of men and boys being unable to speak about their feelings needs to be "overcome".

Exercising together allowed Ben and Olly to share their experiences and they are now encouraging others to open up.

Ben said: "We need to make sure we are talking.

"When we started running, it was easier to because you can just let everything out."

Ben and his mum, Samantha

Olly and Ben initially hoped their marathon efforts would raise £3,000 for the charity that helped their mothers - but they have raised more than three times that amount.

Thoughts of their mothers and how proud they would be will help the pair get through the gruelling race, they say.

Olly said: "The first ten miles will be a bit of a laugh and as soon as I hit that wall, I'll be thinking of how much my mum fought for me, my sister and my dad.

"I think that will motivate me to get to the finish line for her, and beat the marathon like she tried to beat cancer."