A BARNSLEY couple are hoping to cash in their third London marathon - the place where they got engaged three years ago.
Paul ‘Kippy’ Kippax, 47, got down on one knee to propose to his partner Judith, 54, after completing the race in 2015 which they ran despite Judith being in the middle of treatment for breast cancer.
They will now run again on April 22 and hope to bring Kippy’s fundraising total to £10,000.
Kippy, a cycle mechanic, said: “When we took part in 2015, Judith was in the middle of treatment for breast cancer for the second time, having been first diagnosed in 1992. We had signed up in November the previous year without any knowledge of what was about to happen, but that February we had more than just a running challenge to contend with.
“Despite two operations, Judith powered through the marathon in four hours 10 minutes and I was so incredibly proud of what she had achieved not just in that race, but facing her whole diagnosis. It felt only right to propose on the finish line.”
Kippy ran the whole race with the ring in his pocket, and the couple married in September 2016 at Cubley Hall. Judith is doing well and returned with Kippy to run the marathon again in 2017. But Kippy said although she is very fit, the thought of what happened never goes away.
This year, Judith is taking part in two ultra marathons; Race to the Stones, a 100km-run and Race to the Tower, a 52-mile double marathon.
Kippy said: “What Judith is able to do is phenomenal. And I can’t wait for us to cross the finish line again this year, although I can’t promise anything as exciting as a proposal.”h
