Graham has been singing karaoke while running marathons for 10 years. In recognition of his hard work, Graham has recently won the Fundraiser Award from BBC Radio Kent’s Make A Difference Awards. He tells us why fundraising for breast cancer research is so important to him and shares his tips for anyone who wants to do their own fundraising.
Can you tell us about yourself?
I’m originally from Scotland but I've lived in Kent for the past 37 years. I’m married with a son and a daughter. My wife Lorraine and I organise many fundraising activities together.
Why did you decide to fundraise for Breast Cancer Now?
My mother in-law, Grace, died of secondary breast cancer in 2004. I had known her since I was 15 years old. Grace felt like another mother to me. Watching her go through her journey with cancer was incredibly difficult.
After Grace passed away, I decided I wanted to support a breast cancer charity that focused on research. At the time, I was working in various research positions at a pharmaceutical company, including the roles of clinical trials project manager and research chemist. These allowed me to see first-hand how research makes a huge difference to many diseases.
I wanted to make sure that my fundraising went towards research into finding a cure for secondary breast cancer. I decided to donate to Breast Cancer Campaign which has since become part of Breast Cancer Now.
How did you fundraise?
I like to call myself a professional extrovert. When I turned 50, I decided to run the TCS London Marathon and Great North Run while singing karaoke.
I’ve run 10 London Marathons and 8 Great North Runs while singing karaoke. During some of these runs, I was so energised that I felt I could run another marathon after crossing the finish line.
Is it difficult to sing while running a marathon?
The most difficult thing is not being able to breath when you should. You get an oxygen debt and hit “the wall” sooner than other runners. My training involves a lot more anaerobic running sessions than a normal marathon training schedule.
I’ve also ran into technical difficulties. Once, I had to literally go the extra mile. I was having problems with my microphone during the race. The closest shop to buy a new one was half a mile away, so I had to run there and back. I can laugh about it now, but it was stressful at the time. It could have cost me the race.
One of my favourite things about running karaoke marathons is the look on people’s faces when they realise that I am running and singing. There’s always a great reaction from the crowd, and occasionally I like to stop to chat to people to raise awareness of Breast Cancer Now.
What are some of your best moments from fundraising?
In 2024, I ran my last marathon with my daughter Kirsty, in London. It was such an enjoyable end to my karaoke marathon career, and it’s one of my fondest memories of fundraising. Being able to spend that time with my daughter made it very special.
I’ve also been interviewed on Tower Bridge by celebrities and athletes such as Denise Lewis, Ore Oduba, Colin Jackson and Radzi Chinyanganya. And I mentioned Breast Cancer Now on national TV, which was great.
Earlier this year, I went viral on TikTok with a video about my fundraising for Breast Cancer Now. It had over 1 million views. It was so heart-warming to see all the lovely comments and messages of encouragement.
What are you planning to do next?
I am hanging up my microphone. As I get older, running a karaoke marathon is getting harder and I want to stop while I can still sing at a running pace.
I’m now focusing on other ways to do musical fundraising. I run piano sing-alongs and karaoke nights in local venues. My wife, Lorraine, and I also host an annual ball which is very successful. We’ve raised as much as £15,000 in one evening.
Our fundraising total has now gone over £133,000, which is fantastic.
What happens at your annual ball?
We make our events fun and different to keep people engaged. We hold an ‘auction of promises’ at our annual ball, where people donate their time and skills. A friend who’s a pilot donated a flight in a light aircraft. And a local farmer donated a tractor drive. We’ve also had bespoke artwork donated.
The auction of promises is our biggest fundraiser. It wouldn’t happen without the support of our friends and the wider community.
Why is fundraising important to you?
Since starting our fundraising journey, we’ve found that many friends and people in our local community have been affected by breast cancer in some way. That’s why we think it’s so important to continue what we’re doing. We want to find new treatments to help people who are diagnosed with breast cancer live well.
Do you have any tips for anyone interested in doing their own fundraising?
My number 1 fundraising tip is to make it fun and make it different. Find something you’re good at that sets you apart and take it and run with it.
Get involved
Are you feeling inspired by Graham? There are so many ways to get involved and raise money to support people affected by breast cancer. We’re here to help make it happen.