She ran a marathon while on chemotherapy: Incurable liver cancer

Jane Tomlinson, a mother of three, passed away on September 3 from liver cancer, seven years after hearing she had six months to live.

Weeks after learning of her terminal illness, she joined a gym. Two and a half years later, she became the first known person to run a marathon on chemotherapy when she completed her second London Marathon. The next year, she became the first woman with incurable cancer to complete an Ironman Triathlon – a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bicycle ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile marathon. Her final big challenge – another success – was to run from San Francisco to New York, last year.

Jane raised $2.5 million for charity.

Advice: Learn from Jane’s strength.

Read a happier story of an endurance athlete’s survival from cancer, or read Kate Kelland’s source story in the Sept. 10 issue of the Boston Globe.