THE devoted son of a cancer patient is set to run through Whitchurch today as he embarks on a 200-mile journey to raise awareness.

Ben Reeves is running 200 miles over 10 days, from Chester to Southampton to raise awareness for bowel cancer, the illness his father was diagnosed with in the summer of 2017.

Warming up with a 26-mile marathon last Sunday, Ben set off on his 200-mile journey tomorrow, and will run the equivalent of more than seven marathons in 10 days.

Londoner Ben will be starting in his father’s home town of Chester in the North West, running to his own birthplace Southampton in the South East, while travelling through more than 30 towns and cities and seven counties to reach his destination.

He is due to arrive in Southampton on May 5 and aims to raise over £5,000 for Bowel Cancer UK. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer to affect many across the UK.

Ben will put his best foot forward to raise awareness of the illness and to help the more than 268,000 people living with bowel cancer in the UK.

Sixty-year-old Alex Reeves, Ben’s father, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in the summer of 2017, prompting the challenging journey.

“As a keen runner, I wanted to do something beyond a traditional marathon to raise awareness of bowel cancer,” Ben said.

“It can be treated much more easily if it’s diagnosed early. Hopefully this will prompt people to see their doctor if something doesn’t seem right.”

The 322-kilometre route starts in Chester, where Alex was born. Along the way, Reeves will run through Whitchurch, Telford, Kidderminster, Worcester, Cheltenham, Cricklade, Marlborough, Andover, before finishing in Southampton.

He will run through over 30 towns and cities, crossing seven counties to reach his destination. It will take more than a quarter of a million steps to complete the journey.

To keep him company on the trip, Ben is inviting anyone to run with him, be it those from running clubs, other keen athletes, or locals wishing to show their support. Ben will run more than a quarter of a million steps over the journey, burning over 5,500 calories a day to complete the massive endeavour, averaging 20 miles a day for 10 days.

Many have already shown their support for his massive undertaking on his JustGiving page, including the 29-year-old marketing manager’s employer, comparison specialists TotallyMoney, who have sponsored £500.

For more information or to donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ben-Reeves1188