When training for an ultramarathon six years ago, Tony Collier noticed a pain in his groin. The accountant from Altrincham, England in the United Kingdom was diagnosed with terminal cancer in his prostate. But, in the face of such adversity, Collier kept on running.
Last year, the 65-year-old challenged himself to run a 5K every single day for 365 days. He achieved his goal on January 3, surrounded by supporters. During the challenge, he raised money for Move Against Cancer—an organization that helps young adults living with cancer to stay active during and after treatments.
“In my own case I believe that exercise is halting my cancers progression and helping me lead a better quality of life,” Collier told Runner’s World. “It helps me cope better with treatment side effects.”
Collier has raised over £16,000, a whopping £6,000 more than his initial goal. Along the way, he faced one of the most difficult challenges of his running career.
Collier ran in everything from below-freezing to scalding hot temperatures. He overcame his intense cancer treatments, including daily treatment and two forms of quarterly treatment that “remove male hormones and testosterone,” he said.
“Add in weight gain from steroids and massive treatment-related fatigue—you can imagine that it’s a dreadful combination for a runner,” Collier said.
Despite the hardships, Collier said it was worth it: “What kept me going was improving the lives of these young people living with cancer.”
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
