Banbury's marathon hero Mav raises over £18,000 for Freddie's bone cancer charity

Mav meets Freddie Croft, whose fund he ran the London Marathon for, came last and won thousands of fans

The Banbury man who came last in the London Marathon, whose story went global, has raised over £18,000 for bone cancer research.

Mav – real name Tom Durdin – ran the London Marathon and came last. But the story of his tenacity reached around the world after a video of him limping over the finishing line went viral.

Since then, his Go Fund Me page, which stood at a few hundred pounds, has received over 1,600 donations from a couple of pounds to hundreds.

"Nobody could have predicted how it was going to go from that moment on the finishing line,” Mav said this week.

“As of today (Tuesday) we are at £17,732 and I’ve got cash donations bringing that to just over £18,000. I got a message from Gymshark (the gym clothing company) saying they would donate £250 and send me some footwear and clothes. My employer, Smiths of Bloxham, is donating £400.

“The F1 team Alpine saw the Banbury Guardian story and has invited me to their factory to see behind the scenes tomorrow.

“I can’t really comprehend it. I want to thank every single person who has donated and for the overwhelming support, from the people to gave what they could afford to everyone who cheered me on during the marathon - the marshalls, the official who ran alongside me for the final miles and all those who’ve sent amazing messages on social media.”

Mav is not on social media but has been kept informed about the support he has received from across the world, much inspired by his determination. The response has been multiplied through shares of Go Fund Me, Facebook Reddit, LADbible, Instagram and other sites.

A picture of Mav at the finishing line in a 'Bashful Puppy' frame - a thank you gift from Freddie Croft

"People have recognised me; I’ve been stopped in the swimming pool and out shopping by people wanting to congratulate me,” he said.

Mav ran the London Marathon for Freddie’s Future, a fund for the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT). Freddie Croft, of Bodicote, has Ewing Sarcoma – a particularly aggressive type of bone cancer, and has undergone rigorous treatment which has resulted in clear scans. However the Croft family has not stopped fundraising for the BCRT to help its vital research programme.

Mum Nicole said: “We can’t thank Tom and everyone who has supported him and us enough, we have been totally blown away by Tom’s determination and everything that has followed, we just can’t believe it!

"It means so much that Tom was able to raise such a huge amount….we are such a small charity fighting such a huge disease. The National Cancer Research Institute gives just 0.02% investment into bone cancer and we therefore rely on The Bone Cancer Research Trust to help bone cancer patients like Freddie to better the brutal, out-of-date treatment options and our dream - a cure.

“Seeing Tom do this for us and our cause was so inspiring, especially considering everything he had gone through before the marathon after a car accident. All of our runners did so well and seeing Tom capture the nation’s hearts made us so proud.”

The Crofts met Mav at the weekend and Freddie presented a photo of him at the finish line. The frame is decorated with the Bashful Puppy - Freddie’s favourite cuddly toy that has been by his side throughout his treatment.