A man from Bury is participating in the Manchester Marathon as part of an ambitious challenge. James Goodall is running over 20 marathons in just three months. He has described the Manchester Marathon as the ‘highlight’ of his challenge.
Running in Memory
James Goodall, a father of three, is running 26 marathons to honour his father, Peter, and his best friend, David Barnett. Both men died from cancer. His challenge began on March 25 and will conclude on June 17. This date marks 25 years since his father’s death.
The fifth marathon in the series will be on Sunday April 19. He will participate in the adidas Manchester Marathon alongside 40,000 other runners.
The Power of Hope Challenge
James has named his challenge The Power of Hope. He created the challenge after years of grieving the loss of his father and then watching his best friend suffer from brain cancer.
Through this endeavour, he hopes to raise £26,000 for The Christie. The Christie treated his father for three years. “This is a challenge rooted in loss, resilience, and the belief that hope can carry people through their darkest times. I want to help people keep moving, healing, and striving towards something positive, even when everything suggests giving up.
“The Christie charity is incredibly close to my heart. I spent a lot of time there while my dad was being treated and witnessed first-hand the incredible work of the staff and the bravery of the patients. There was no other charity I wanted to fundraise for, and I would love to raise £26,000 through this challenge.”
Honouring Loved Ones
James initially planned to run 25 marathons to mark 25 years since his father Peter passed away on 17 June 2001, aged 53. However, his best friend of more than 30 years, David Barnett, was diagnosed with brain cancer during the planning stages. Following David’s passing, aged 49, at the end of 2024, James decided to add an additional marathon in his honour.
James also spoke about the two men whose memories will be honoured through the challenge. He said: “My dad, Peter, was my best friend and my hero. We worked together every day for seven years and shared many happy memories, including our love for Manchester United. On the day he died, a part of me died too.
“Dave was one of my closest friends from a young age. We met our wives at the same time, married within six months of each other, and our daughters were born just three months apart — they’re still best friends today. We shared countless great times together, but one of the most special was watching United win the treble in Barcelona in 1999.
“Watching two men be taken by cancer, yet fight it like warriors, is what drives me to take on this challenge. I want to raise awareness.