Adele Roberts breaks world record time for completing the London marathon with a stoma bag

Adele Roberts broke the world record time for completing the London Marathon with an ostomy bag on Sunday.

The TV personality, 44, started the race 10 months after being completely free of colon cancer and finished in 3 hours, 30 minutes and 22 seconds.

BBC presenter Gabby Logan broke the news of her time live on the BBC and she looked delighted to hear it.

After she proudly said, “I can retire now, I’m done!”

“During training I only ran 21 miles, so I didn’t know if I would be able to finish with the stoma. I’m over the moon.’

She then joked to news presenter Sophie Raworth who was interviewed with her, “I’m really hungry, shall we have a burger?”

When asked if she would ever do another one, she joked that she would just watch Audrey – her ostomy bag – do it on her own.

Adele was diagnosed with stage two colon cancer in October 2021 and was cleared by doctors last June.

It comes after Adele said receiving early treatment for colon cancer “saved her life.”

She has given her support to a new campaign to raise awareness about the symptoms of the condition.

The former Big Brother star, who has documented her treatment on social media, shared how she was “embarrassed” to contact her doctor when she first noticed her symptoms.

She said: ‘It took me a while at first to work up the courage to call my GP. My symptoms seemed like things I could explain away. I didn’t want to be a burden to the NHS and I was ashamed. I shouldn’t have worried.

‘My GP took my concerns seriously, put me at ease and also offered me a home test kit. This meant I could take the test in the comfort of my own home.

“Soon after that, I was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer, which almost progressed to stage 3. Getting the help I needed on time saved my life.

“If you’re concerned speak to someone. Early detection saves lives and it helped save mine.”

A new survey from Bowel Cancer UK found that 38% of people cannot name any symptoms of bowel cancer. As part of the charity’s new campaign for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April, they’re highlighting some of the key symptoms, including blood in your poop, change in bowel habits, pain or lump in your abdomen, weight loss and fatigue.

Their survey also found that 59% of people said something was likely to prevent them from contacting a doctor if they experienced a change in bowel habits, including difficulty getting an appointment, feeling embarrassed or being too scared that it could be something serious.

Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: ‘As with all cancers, acting at the first sign of symptoms can make a big difference to how bowel cancer can be treated and how successfully.

‘You are much more likely to survive a cancer that is diagnosed early, which is why the NHS and charities such as Bowel Cancer UK have run awareness campaigns about the signs to look out for.

“Referrals for bowel cancer testing have been at record levels for the past 18 months and we would encourage people to talk to a GP about any symptoms: knowing what’s normal for you and acting if something isn’t right can make all the difference.”

Genevieve Edwards, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, added: ‘It is worrying that people are unaware of the symptoms of the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.

‘Every 30 minutes someone dies from the disease in the UK, which means that in the time it takes to watch an episode of your favorite soap, one family loses a loved one to bowel cancer.

“But it doesn’t have to be, because it’s treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.” That’s why this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month we’re launching a new campaign to highlight the five red flag symptoms of the disease and ask people to take our KnowTheHigh5 quiz.”