How North Devon’s Andy Hood is using ultra running to raise cancer awareness

Andy Hood shares how a testicular cancer diagnosis reshaped his life, turning running into a platform for honesty, awareness and support for others facing cancer and mental health challenges. You can support Andy and follow his journey at www.runningwestwardho.co.uk

Cancer is one of those words you never expect to hear in a doctor’s office. 

In 2021, it became a word I had to get used to, along with surgeons, oncologists and a future suddenly filled with uncertainty. 

I had questions I couldn’t answer: how, why, and why now?

Like many men, I wasn’t great at talking about my health. 

I considered myself fit. I was a runner, comfortable at marathon distance, so cancer, specifically testicular cancer, wasn’t on my radar at all. 

Ironically, it was Jeremy Clarkson, alongside Hammond and May, who gave me the nudge that something wasn’t right. 

It sounds absurd, but that moment likely saved my life. 

The fuller version of that story lives on my website. 

What followed was surgery, chemotherapy, and the deeper question of what this experience would ultimately mean for me.

I chose to rebuild stronger.

That decision came with a vow: to talk openly about cancer, to encourage men to check themselves regularly, and to seek medical advice, or simply a conversation, when something feels off. 

I wrapped that message around running, using the sport I loved to create a narrative that might actually cut through.

Those tentative first steps back soon turned into miles, and then into ultra and endurance running.

I began designing my own ultra-distance challenges, deliberately shaping them to capture attention. 

Once people were listening, I could share the story, not for sympathy, but for awareness. The message was simple: men need to take their health seriously, be open when they need help, and be willing to lean on a mate when things get heavy.

Fundraising became more than a target or a total; it was proof that awareness and support could travel far beyond the miles I was running. 

Every person who chose to engage with the journey, to listen, to share, to donate, helped turn a personal experience into something collective. 

I’m deeply grateful for every contribution, because each donation creates a quiet ripple of positivity, connection and hope.

Over the past three years, I’ve never really been running alone.

As I close out 2025, more than £25,000 has been raised for cancer and mental health charities including ChemoHero, Macmillan Cancer Support, YoungMinds, Oddballs and The Robin Cancer Trust. I choose these charities carefully; their work, vision and passion align with mine. 

Along the way, I’ve met extraordinary people and shared stories, of diagnosis, survival and loss. 

There’s something deeply cathartic about opening up to someone you’ve only just met. Tears are common, and always welcome.

The runs themselves have taken many forms: 160 kilometres around the Tour du Mont Blanc, twice; London to Brighton 100K; 24 hours on a treadmill covering more than 100 miles; two “doughnut runs” through London visiting around 20 Krispy Kreme stores; and this year, a 50K run to Diddly Squat Farm to personally thank Jeremy Clarkson for that life-saving nudge.

During recovery from surgery and chemotherapy, I made a commitment to support others navigating tough times. 

That commitment continues into 2026. I’ll begin the year at the Arc of Attrition, a winter ultra along the coast path, before returning again to Mont Blanc.

I’m also working with ChemoHero to design a 24-hour Backyard Ultra in Barnstaple.

ABOVE: Andy Hood presents a cheque to ChemoHero alongside co-founder Rob Wallis, after Krispy Kreme donated £10,000 on top of the funds Andy raised this year. (presented on December 22)

At the extreme end of what’s possible, I’m now seeking a sponsor for one of endurance running’s toughest challenges: seven marathons, in seven days, on seven continents. It’s a daunting prospect, but then so was hearing the word cancer for the first time. 

This feels like the natural next step.

Cancer forced me to reimagine who I was and who I could become. Now, it’s my responsibility to take that forward, one step, one conversation, one mile at a time.