Family's incredible endurance challenge to remember 'happy' boy Barnaby

A young boy from Rugby who died earlier this year has inspired a major endurance event for charity. More than 100 people are set to take part in the event in memory of Barnaby Williams.

Barnaby was just nine when he died in February from a rare paediatric brain cancer called Medulloblastoma, after two years with the illness. Barnaby, who was a pupil at Crescent School in Bilton, spent six months in Birmingham Children’s Hospital undergoing intensive treatment.

His family and close friends have already raised £15,000 for the hospital by competing in two editions of the Birmingham Half Marathon, and now that total is set to be more than doubled through the Wolf Run which takes place on June 9. Around 130 friends, family and members of the Crescent School community have signed up for the event.

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The Wolf Run will see competitors take on a string of testing obstacles over 10k or 5k assault courses at Stanford Hall, near Lutterworth. Barnaby’s dad Chris said the response to the event had been overwhelming for him, his wife Tina and Barnaby’s sister Beau.

He said: “A close group of friends had entered the Birmingham Half Marathon for the last two years, but so many people were touched by what happened to Barnaby and the way he fought, that they also wanted to help, and this seemed the perfect way. Barnaby loved the outdoors and sports.

"When he first became ill, he had played football for Rugby Borough on the Saturday and rugby for Old Laurentians on the Sunday, before falling sick on the Monday. By the Friday of that week, he was in Birmingham Children’s Hospital undergoing surgery.

“One moment he was a happy, healthy and active seven-year-old, and suddenly that was all turned upside down. The hospital and the staff were brilliant throughout and do so much fantastic work.

"He was in Hospital for six months, which was very difficult to cope with along with home life and everything else, but they made it as manageable as possible. His school were fantastic and many of those taking part in the Wolf Run are connected to the Crescent. We cannot thank them enough.”

A memorial page has already raised over £18,000 for Young Lives vs Cancer. To donate, visit https://barnabygeorgeidriswilliams.muchloved.com/

Those taking part in the Wolf Run are raising money through Just Giving as part of Barnaby’s Warriors. The page can be visited at www.justgiving.com/team/barnabyswarriors

People keen to support the event can also do so by visiting Chris’ personal Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/chris-williams-1711649340020

Anyone wishing to contribute to the family’s latest Half Marathon in May can visit https://ajbellgreatbirminghamrun2024.enthuse.com/pf/tina-williams

The family hopes its fundraising efforts this year will generate more than £50,000 for Young Lives vs Cancer and BCH.