The Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts has become the fastest woman to complete the London Marathon with a stoma bag, clocking a time of 3hr 30min and 22sec.
The 44-year-old, who began using a stoma bag in 2021 after surgery for bowel cancer, said “up yours, cancer” after her achievement.
The official Guinness World Records’ Twitter account shared a picture of Roberts with her certificate after the race on Sunday, saying: “Adele Roberts completed the fastest marathon with an ileostomy (female) in 3:30:22.
“Congratulations, Adele!”
Roberts had a tiny replica medal made for her stoma, which she has named Audrey, and which she shared in a video posted on her Instagram story.
“We got the record. I was like: ‘Oh my gosh did we actually do it?’,” she said.
“For ages I didn’t know my time because my watch broke and I couldn’t tell because I set off quite late … so I was just really hoping that I’d managed to do it.
“Thank you so much to everybody who was actually in the race, there was so many lovely people on the course and also everybody who came out to cheer even though it was raining.
“We did it, up yours cancer.”
On an Instagram post she wrote: “We’ve just set a #GuinnessWorldRecord for the fastest marathon with an ileostomy … less then 12 months since I stopped chemotherapy. Anything is possible.
“For those warriors living with cancer, for all the incredible ostomates around the UK and for the heroes of the NHS. That was for you.”
Her fellow Radio 1 DJ Greg James wrote on her post: “This is absolutely insane. You are unreal xxx”
The radio and television presenter Anita Rani added: “CHAMP! Massive congrats Adele!”
In the run up to the marathon Roberts admitted it was a “big ask” for her body to take on the challenge.
Speaking to Rani on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Friday, she said: “Less than 18 months ago I was lying in a hospital bed recovering from bowel cancer surgery and it was a long road ahead of me … 18 months ago, and I couldn’t barely sit up, let alone run a marathon.”
On the eve of the race, Roberts shared a picture on Instagram of all her marathon running equipment, hash-tagging Rebellious Hope – a phrase coined by Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer in June last year.
