A 61-year-old woman diagnosed with a brain tumour ran The Big Half to help raise funds for research to find a cure.

Mum-of-three Clare Hughes, from Wanstead, took on the 13-mile run from Tower Bridge to Greenwich with her 25-year-old daughter Morgan on Sunday (September 1), in aid of the Brain Tumour Research charity.

They headed through Wapping to Canary Wharf, then along The Highway to cross Tower Bridge and run through Bermondsey and Deptford to finish at the iconic Cutty Sark.

Clare said after finishing: "It was hot, not ideal for running. We were supported by family, friends and dogs along the route and crossed the line together."

She expressed her delight to have raised more than £1,000 for Brain Tumour Research. 

Clare battles with poor balance as well as deafness in one ear, facial palsy and an involuntary facial muscle movement, after being diagnosed ten years ago with an acoustic neuroma.

“It feels freeing when I’m running,” Clare said. “I don’t notice my lack of balance and think it is something to do with the momentum.”

She went through Gamma Knife radiotherapy and had surgery to remove 95 per cent of the tumour but continues to be monitored with regular scans.

Yet she is determined it will not stop her living life to the full.

“One thing I will never do is let my brain tumour dictate my life,” Clare insists. “My children grew up watching everything I went through. I want to be part of the solution and raise awareness of this disease.”

Clare set up her own estate agency and runs a women’s networking group where she meets others who have their own challenges.

“They are often surprised that I am standing to tell the tale when they see the visual effects of the tumour,” she added. “But I greet them with the question of what the alternative would be.

“My facial palsy is a super power that makes me stand out in a competitive industry.”

One-in-three people knows someone affected by a brain tumour, the charity points out. But only one per cent of the national spend on cancer research is put by to finding its cure.

Charlie Allsebrook, from Brain Tumour Research, said: “Clare’s story is a reminder that brain tumours can affect anyone at any age. Support from people like Clare and her daughter will help us raise funds for research.”

Well-wishers can still donate to Clare's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/page/clare-hughes-1720875330890.