Community rallies behind Tom as marathon challenge pauses through injury

An Orford dad who set out to run seven marathons in seven consecutive days in support of Warrington Hospital’s neonatal unit has been forced to pause his extraordinary challenge after sustaining an injury during day three.

Tom Dore had already completed two full marathons and was halfway through his third when he suffered an injury to his Achilles. Despite being in significant pain, Tom was determined to continue and walked the remaining distance to complete the third marathon before later attending the Urgent Treatment Centre at Halton Hospital.

Following assessment and medical advice, Tom has been told he must avoid exercise for the next six to eight weeks while he recovers.

Despite being devastated by the setback, Tom is determined to return and complete the challenge once he is fit again.

The challenge, which started and finished each day at Warrington Hospital, was launched to raise funds for the neonatal unit after the team helped save the life of Tom and partner Talisa McDermott’s daughter, Taiya, following complications at birth in September 2024.

Since launching the fundraiser, Tom has received an overwhelming amount of support from the local community, with donations currently reaching £8,183, surpassing the original £7,000 target.

Speaking about the support he has received, Tom said: “I’m absolutely gutted that I’ve had to stop, especially after all the training and support people have given me. Once the injury happened, I knew something wasn’t right, but I was determined to finish the third marathon and keep going for as long as I could.

“The support from everyone has honestly been unbelievable. The donations, messages, people turning up along the route, it’s all meant so much to me and my family. To have already gone past the £7,000 target is incredible and I can’t thank people enough.

“The neonatal team at Warrington Hospital will always hold a special place in our hearts and although I need to recover properly, I fully intend to come back and finish what I started.”

Helen Higginson, head of fundraising for Warrington and Halton Hospitals’ (WHH) Charity, said: “We are all incredibly proud of Tom and everything he has achieved already. Completing more than two marathons back-to-back and continuing through injury to finish a third shows remarkable determination and commitment to supporting our neonatal unit.

“The response from the community has been amazing and we would like to thank every single person who has donated, supported, shared messages of encouragement or helped along the way. The funds raised will make a real difference for babies and families cared for on the neonatal unit and we look forward to cheering Tom on again when he is ready to continue.”

Funds raised through the challenge will help WHH Charity continue to enhance facilities and provide additional support for the smallest and most vulnerable patients.

Watch this space… to be continued once Tom is back on his feet.