Durham Cancer Survivor Runs Marathon in Boston Jacket

When Emily Webster crosses the London Marathon finish line on April 26, she'll be carrying more than just her own cancer survival story.

The 32-year-old Durham University professor will wear the Boston Marathon jacket that belonged to her father-in-law, Bryan Suits, who ran that legendary race in 2017 while battling the rare melanoma that would eventually take his life in 2023. It's her first full marathon, and every mile will honor the physicist, dad, musician, and runner she called "one of my favorite people in the world."

Webster's own cancer journey began unexpectedly in 2021 during a routine scan. Doctors found a rare tumor in her appendix called Low Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm, forcing her and her partner to put their lives on hold just as they were starting new jobs in different countries.

"I was in complete shock when I got the call," Webster recalls. Six weeks later, surgeons removed her appendix and part of her colon, catching the disease early enough that she's now effectively cured.

But the trauma lingers. Five years later, Webster still lives with uncertainty and will need medical surveillance for years to come.

That's why she donated her appendix for scientific research and is now raising £2,500 for The Institute of Cancer Research, London. As someone who teaches the history of cancer research, she understands how far treatment has come and how far it still needs to go.

Why This Inspires

Webster's race isn't just about her own recovery. She's running for everyone whose cancer story didn't end as fortunately as hers, especially those with rare or advanced forms of the disease that leave patients grappling with both terror and a lack of medical understanding.

When Bryan's wife gave Webster some of his running gear after his passing, it became more than memorabilia. The jacket represents everything his cancer tried to steal: his love of running, his music, his joy. Now it gets to run again.

"I will be running for them, for me, and most of all, for Bryan," Webster says. Every pound raised drives research forward, and every mile brings us closer to a future where more cancer stories end like Emily's and fewer end like Bryan's.