Nikki Lilley was a talented runner in her youth, but the pressures of competition sapped some of her love for the sport and it fell by the wayside.

Life and raising a family - with five children - meant she was kept pretty busy over the next few years, but she eventually found her way back to running (and swimming and cycling) in the form of the triathlon.

Age group success followed, but Nikki suffered a serious setback when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Surgery and chemotherapy, along with a temporary stoma, followed but she was determined to continue exercising.

That included parkrun and becoming a part of 5k Your Way, the empowering community which encourages those with cancer to run, walk or volunteer at their local parkrun once a month.

Nikki eventually had her stoma reversed and is now back to chasing her goals, completing her first marathon less than a year later - and in a smidge over three-and-a-half hours!

Running Tales spoke to Nikki about the support 5k Your Way provides to those with cancer, her own running journey, and the power of community...

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Further reading:

How the 5k Your Way revolution is 'kindly, quietly, powerfully' getting cancer patients moving