An Earlsfield dad is running in next month's London Marathon after his wife tragically died from a rare form of bowel and liver cancer last year.

Paul Thomas, 41, is participating in the event nearly a year (April 22) since his partner Lucy, 37, passed away last year after being diagnosed six months prior with BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer.

The couple met on an online singles dating site before marrying each other and having two children – Oscar, four, and Emilia, two.

He said: “Our backgrounds were very similar and everything was just right. We married. The children came along, then suddenly it ended.

“They were the best seven years of my life. I wish I’d met her earlier so we could have had more time together.

“She was incredibly happy, bubbly and full of life, never ever getting down about the bad things in life. She complemented me totally – I was the grumpy one and she always picked me up.”

The dad-of-two says Lucy ‘never let her illness get her down’ and she was ‘so generous with her time’.

Now Mr Thomas is determined to keep her memory alive by fundraising for people who are affected by BRAF-mutal colorectal cancer.

His efforts going to a charity set up in her name under Bowel and Cancer Research.

The dad-of-two added: “I have put off doing a marathon so far in my life as it seems such a rough test of physical and mental ability.

“There is no better motivation to test my ability to complete the London Marathon than Lucy’s charity.

“I decided that if I was going to ask people for money, it would have to be for something gruelling.”

Mr Thomas raised £20,000 last year when he took part in a Ride London event with three close friends.

Bowel and Cancer Research chief executive Deborah Gilbert said: “The funds raised in memory of Lucy will be ring-fenced.

“Lucy's family will be able to direct how they are used and will be kept up-to-date with the results of any research so that something good can hopefully come out of such a tragic and devastating end of life.”

To see the fundraising paige, click here.