A dad of three from Marlow who lost his leg to a rare form of cancer will play a starring role in a world record attempt this weekend. 

Jimmy Hall, 37, will join 421 other runners in a Stand Up to Cancer 'Sprintathon' - a world record attempt to try and run a marathon in relay in the fastest time - at Little Marlow Running Track on Saturday (September 24). 

To beat the current world record, each person will have to run 100m in under 16.6 seconds.

The event will involve schools, sports clubs and a host of celebrity guests including England cricketer Andrew Strauss, decorated British athlete Derek Redmond and Paralympian Naomi Riches.

Former marathon runner Jimmy had his leg amputated after he was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in September last year. 

He will complete the last 100 metres of Saturday's race on his new prosthetic leg. 

The technology sales worker - who recently underwent 55 days of gruelling chemotherapy treatment, leaving him exhausted and without hair - first noticed a lump on his ankle in January 2015, but doctors thought it was gout.

After a number of tests and scans, he was told he had cancer on September 15 last year, when his wife Charlie was 16 weeks pregnant with their third child. 

After battling through the treatment and being admitted to hospital a number of times with infections, his leg had to be amputated in February this year. 

Following surgery, as Jimmy began to come to terms with what had happened, his focus switched to a determination to walk again using crutches.

He said: "You have your ups and downs but overall we are very positive people and our family and those closest to us are positive. I felt that inner strength.

“I was never one of those people who would be going to the gym every day but I liked to keep myself fit. Running was always my thing, it gave me thinking time.

“I’ve not been able to run for over a year but I’m honoured to be asked to take part and finish the final 100 metres of Sprintathon because it is raising money for such a good cause.

“We need money to fund more research to get better, kinder treatments for those facing cancer. It’s important that people get the very best they can and they know there is life after cancer.”

So far, the Sprintathon has raised £10,602 - to donate, or find out more about the race, visit sprintathon.org.