Jake Quickenden to dress as bone for London Marathon in memory of little brother

ok.co.uk:

Jake Quickenden has revealed that he will run his first ever marathon dressed as a “massive” bone in memory of his younger brother Oliver.

Oliver was just 19 when he died of bone cancer in 2012, the same disease that killed their father four years earlier. Jake said running the TCS London Marathon on April 23 will be difficult and emotional but remembering Oliver will motivate him to complete the 26.2 miles (42km). “I like to test myself and do these things because I can, I’m still on this Earth with air in my lungs, and my little brother can’t,” he told the PA news agency. “I’ll remind myself that Oliver would love to be here, doing this and it will drive me on. “It’s a massive outfit.

I don’t know how it’s going to be to run in.” Just Jake’s face, arms and legs will be visible in the huge costume which will feature information to explain that sarcoma is bone and soft tissue cancer. “I think when I’m 20 miles in and I can barely walk, I will be quite emotional,” said Jake, who hopes to raise £10,000 for Sarcoma UK. “That’s why I have got him there on the costume with me, that will give me the extra motivation. “He’s always there with me anyway.” The former Dancing On Ice champion who rose to fame on The X Factor and played football professionally has never run a marathon before. “I did the London Landmarks Half a couple of years ago and I’m pretty excited, nervous but it’s all for an amazing cause,” he said. “I can’t wait to do it.” Jake, who came second in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

but had to withdraw from competing in TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins due to a shoulder injury, added: “I started off really good, training like I was Mo Farah.