Luton mum-of-two celebrates turning 60 by running third marathon in six months

A Luton mum-of-two will celebrate turning 60 by running three marathons in six months.

Kate Neale is preparing to run the London Marathon in aid of the charity Brain Tumour research, her fifth ever marathon and her third in just six months.

She said: “I did Brighton in 2018, Belfast in 2019 and 2020 was supposed to do Dublin but the world stopped because of COVID and they didn’t actually hold it until 2022.

“Then, to celebrate turning 60, rather than settle for a bus pass I decided to take on a number of physical challenges. This culminated in me running both London and Dublin marathons in October 2022.

“I then realised that, because London Marathon is going back to its usual April date this year, I had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to run the world’s most iconic marathon twice in my 60th year.”

Kate, who has set a fundraising target of £6,060 in honour of her milestone birthday, started running 14 years ago.

She is now a running coach and an event director of Luton Wardown parkrun, which is how she met Amani Liaquat, a brain tumour patient who died in February last year and is Kate’s inspiration for fundraising for Brain Tumour Research.

Kate said: “When Amani and her family were organising the first Luton Walk of Hope in 2021, a friend of theirs who does parkrun said it would be worth getting in touch with me, which they did. I was so blown away by them that I offered to come and set the course up myself.

“I heard Amani speak at the start and I was so taken by what she had to say and how impressive she was. I think her being a similar age to my daughter really brought it home for me too. I kept asking myself how my family would deal with the same situation. She was very inspirational.

“I was also involved in Luton’s second Walk of Hope last year, which took place after Amani had died. It was amazing and it really made me want to do something.”

Amani, a master’s student and first-class honours law graduate from Luton, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) in April 2020 after collapsing at home on her 22nd birthday.

During her courageous 22-month battle with the disease, she took on numerous fundraising and campaigning activities for Brain Tumour Research, including setting up the Fight4Hope fundraising group, organising Luton’s first ever Walk of Hope and becoming an integral part of the charity’s Brain Tumour Petition and Stop the Devastation campaigns.

She died last February, six weeks before Tom Parker, lead singer of band The Wanted, with whom she formed a close friendship because of their shared diagnosis.

Kate, a member of Stopsley Striders running club, which has chosen to support Brain Tumour Research as its charity of the year, added: “I watched the very first London Marathon and have probably entered the ballot 10 times over the years. I always said I wouldn’t do a charity place because of the pressure of fundraising, but after waiting 41 years to run it and absolutely loving it, I wanted to do it again.”

To sponsor Kate visit her fundraising page here.