Page 22 - Real Rochdale Issue 12 Winter 2021
P. 22

gym owner’s world record







                                                                                                                                                                                         Ben Bate sets new Guinness

                                                                                                                                                                                     World Record running the London
                                                                                                                                                                                        Marathon for Sarcoma UK in

                                                                                                                                                                                         memory of friend Tom Makin


                                                                                                                                                                     Local personal trainer Ben         sadly passed away from
                                                                                                                                                                     Bate ran the London Marathon       osteosarcoma in 2019, leaving
                                                                                                                                                                     on 3 October 2021 and set a        behind two daughters aged just
                                                                                                                                                                     new Guinness World Record          three, and eight-weeks-old.
                                                                                                                                                                     for Fastest Marathon Dressed
                                                                                                                                                                     as a Body Part (male runner),      As part of ‘Team Tom’, Ben ran
                                                                                                                                                                     with a time of 03:49:14.           with six others including Tom’s
                                                                                                                                                                                                        wife, Kirsty Makin. Together,
                                                                                                                                                                     Ben, owner of The BodyPro          the team collectively raised
                                                                                                                                                                     Personal Training Studio based     over £100,000 for the
                                                                                                                                                                     on Bury Road, completed the        Sarcoma UK charity.
                                                                                                                                                                     challenge in a large bone
                                                                                                                                                                     costume to help raise              Ben also raised more than
                                                                                                                                                                     awareness of sarcoma - a rare      £21,000 for Sarcoma UK in
                                                                                                                                                                     cancer that develops in the        July when he completed four
                                                                                                                                                                     muscle, bone and soft tissue       marathons - including 26 laps
                                                                                                                                                                     - in memory of his late friend     around Bamford and Norden -
                                                                                                                                                                     and client, Tom Makin.             in under 24 hours.
                                                                                                                                                                     Tom was 29 years old when he






                                                                                                                                  Richard Davidson, chief
                                                                                                                                  executive of Sarcoma UK,
                                                                                                                                  said: “The charity was
                                                                                                                                  overwhelmed by the
                                                                                                                                  response to Ben and the
                                                                                                                                  team at the London
                                                                                                                                  Marathon 2021. Not only
                                                                                                                                  have they raised a
                                                                                                                                  transformative amount to
                                                                                                                                  support people affected by
                                                                                                                                  this relatively rare cancer,
                                                                                                                                  but Ben’s eye-catching
                                                                                                                                  costume has brought
                                                                                                                                  awareness of sarcoma in
                                                                                                                                  such a high-profile way.”           Photos: Ian Randall Photography

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