One man has taken it upon himself to run an ultra marathon following a prostate cancer diagnosis.

Toby Hellman was a symptomless 59-year-old when he was told out of the blue that he had cancer.

However not even that diagnosis has caused him to miss a step.

In mid-June he will be embarking on the Wild Horse 200 through mid-Wales, running 200 miles and climbing 30,187ft in 120 hours.

The keen runner is trying to get the message out that everyone needs testing, regardless of fitness.

Toby has been doing extreme endurance challenges for 25 years.
Toby has been doing extreme endurance challenges for 25 years. (Toby Hellman)

The Tregaron garage mechanic said: “At the garage I talk to everyone coming in about it; anyone who's my age or a bit younger I tell them about it because a lot of people aren’t aware of it.

“It was pure luck that it got found - I had no symptoms whatsoever.

“I’m still running, doing everything I was doing; I wouldn’t have known.

“The doctor said if it could’ve been two or three years before it was picked up, then it would’ve been too late.

“That’s half the problem with prostate cancer: once you start getting symptoms it’s too late.”

The serial ultra-marathon runner was sent for extra testing after blood was found in his routine bowel cancer stool sample.

The following colonoscopy and blood test came back clear; the cancer was only found after his doctor pushed for an MRI.

Despite his diagnosis, he hasn’t been deterred from the extreme endurance challenge, already having four 100-mile ultra-marathons, triathlons, and two Double Brutal Extreme Triathlons, which Toby said was by far the hardest.

The Wild Horse 200, starting and ending in Machynlleth, challenges runners to complete the challenge across five days; however Toby is aiming to complete his run in just four days.

Luckily for him, his treatment begins in August, meaning he can compete before going for surgery.

The father-of-four said: “The medical team haven’t said not to...

“I did mention it.

“The race is the issue; having cancer isn’t the issue.

“Mentally I have good days and down days, sometimes I stand around, and it suddenly hits me, ‘s**t, I’ve got cancer’.

“My running gets me through, it’s my therapy.

“I’ll admit I’m addicted, I can’t not do something.

“After my operation I’ll be out of action for at least eight weeks, which for me will be harder than the operation.

“My family are used to it, they’ve given up trying to convince me otherwise.”

Sharing the message that “it doesn’t matter if you’re fit, young or old”, he is getting the word out via a new Facebook page dedicated to his cancer (and racing) journey.

He is already well on his way to raising his target of £1,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, which funds research, supports patients and their families and raises awareness ‘so more men can get checked early’.

Help him reach his finish line by donating to his JustGiving page here - https://www.justgiving.com/page/tobyhellmanprostatecancer