Uncle set for 'emotional' Robin Hood Half Marathon for boy, 5, diagnosed with leukaemia

Noah, 5, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia just before Christmas
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


An uncle running the Robin Hood Half Marathon for his five-year-old nephew who was diagnosed with a rare cancer says he is going to struggle to contain his emotions. Richard Slatem will set off for the run with Noah at the forefront of his mind.

The Nottingham boy was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia just last year and has since been undergoing chemotherapy. “[The diagnosis] happened really close to Christmas, plans completely changed, it was going in and out of hospitals," said Mr Slatem.

“I could no longer pick my nephew up and was seeing him lose his hair. It was really, really difficult but the nurses were amazing." The 38-year-old who lives in Manchester said Noah had taken the news "better than most adults".

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“When he got diagnosed at four years old I don’t think he understood it. Now he can probably tell me more about leukaemia than anyone and he’s only five," he said.

“He knows his feelings when they come along. It shows the resilience of kids, they have an ability to just bounce back."

The Nottingham half will be the first of five Mr Slatem plans to complete in consecutive days, having never run one before. He is raising money for the children’s cancer ward at the Queen’s Medical Centre and families going through similar situations.

Richard Slatem
Richard Slatem -Credit:Richard Slatem

On what made the Robin Hood Half special, he said: “For me it’s everything around Nottingham, I’ve become very close to it because of Noah. To me the nurses and doctors and other families that are going through this makes it really special.

“To have Noah and my family there, it will make it emotional." The 43rd edition of the Robin Hood Half is set to be its biggest yet when it sets off from the Victoria Embankment at 9.30am on Sunday (September 29).

More than 11,000 runners are expected to follow a route that will take them through the city centre, the Park Estate and Wollaton Park before again finishing at the Victoria Embankment. All the road closures in place during the event have now been confirmed, with closures on 36 roads or lanes overall.