A Totnes man has completed an astonishing feat of endurance, running seven marathons in seven days to raise more than £11,000 for a specialist thyroid cancer charity.

Joe Benjamin-Guest completed his final run — bringing his total to over 180 miles — on Thursday, April 9, crossing the finish line at the Diptford home of his parents' best friends, Steve and Sue.

Joe had been training for his first marathon when Steve was diagnosed with Stage 4 anaplastic thyroid cancer, a rare, aggressive, and terminal disease.

"I wanted to do something good out of such a bad situation," Joe explained. He decided that to do something truly special, "you've got to do something big," knowing that going big was the only way to make people listen.

Joe initially aimed to raise £7,000 for the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust, a charity that provides respite escapes and crucial support for patients.

Having spoken with charity staff and patients, Joe learned that without this targeted support, many people would struggle to receive a diagnosis due to a general lack of awareness surrounding the disease.

"Steve has been really unlucky, anaplastic thyroid cancer is so rare and usually affects women," Joe said, noting that he is still on a journey to understand the reality of the illness.

Despite the gravity behind the challenge, the finish line was a scene of celebration.

Family, friends, and neighbours gathered to welcome Joe, with the occasion filled with camaraderie, loyalty, admiration and pride.

One cheering neighbour said the impressive turnout “shows how popular Steve is.”

Steve, though too unwell to join the crowd outside, watched Joe cross the finish line from his bedroom window. Thanks to his nurse, he was also connected via video call to share in the community's joy.

Smiling broadly after the final miles, Joe looked up to Steve at the window and waved.

"Running across the finish line and seeing my family there, all this great support, and seeing Steve made it all real and all worth it," Joe said, adding that he was surprised by how emotional he felt at the end.

Away from the cheering crowds, Joe then shared a quiet, powerful moment upstairs with Steve.

The nature of Steve’s cancer makes breathing and speaking incredibly difficult, but despite this, the pair embraced, and Steve mustered the strength to say the words: “I’m so proud of him.”

Sue echoed this sentiment, saying: “Joe has smiled the whole way through. He’s an inspiration.”

However, Joe’s humility shone, saying the turnout was “all about Steve”, adding that the community and Sue were the “unsung heroes”.

"Steve has always been there; he has been my parents’ best friend for 50 years," Joe reflected. "He always brought out the best in my parents — the people I saw them be 100% authentically themselves around. He’s always been there, and the mark he’s made in my life will never go away."

The finish line occasion — complete with homemade cake from neighbour Sarah — was emotional, but far from bleak.

Instead, it felt like something else entirely: a community choosing light in the dark.

Surrounded by friends and neighbours, the underlying message of Joe's achievement was clear — that something incredibly good can grow from even the hardest of circumstances.

Donation’s can still be made at: https://tinyurl.com/2frwfhbr