When tech entrepreneur Andy Nicol crossed the finishing line in Sunday’s Goa Marathon he didn’t need to look at his time to know he’d won his race.
The managing director of Manchester-based web and digital transformation agency Sputnik Digital actually finished 17th out of 82 competitors.
The 51-year-old picked up a trophy for being the fastest overseas runner in the masters’ category but the fact he was competing at all was little short of miraculous.
That’s because Nicol only underwent surgery for prostate cancer 13 weeks earlier.
He had a prostatectomy – which involved the full removal of his prostate – on November 7th, 2024.
Nicol had shared his experiences in BusinessCloud to raise awareness of prostate cancer after it claimed the life of his own father in 2008 at the age of 62.
Despite its name the Goa Marathon is actually a half marathon but Nicol was the fastest runner in the masters’ category for over 50s in a time of 1 hour 40 minutes.
The run also raised valuable funds for the El Shaddai Charitable Trust, which provides homes and hope for underprivileged children.
Nicol returned to training in mid-December, seven weeks after his operation, and felt fit enough to take part in the Goa Marathon at the weekend.
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“I think the main medical concern was that overdoing things could cause a hernia, but I felt ready,” he said.
“On race day I got up at 4.45am for a 6am start, when it was dark but still 22 degrees and humid. Fortunately there was the lightest of breezes to keep the worst of the heat at bay.
“The course heads north along the coast, past the Casino Boats outside the Goan capital, Panjim, and across the causeway towards Old Goa.
“The causeway is essentially a B road through the reclaimed, marshy mangrove forests.
“At the other end, the course turns back, across the causeway, back through Miramar, then up an unexpected hill, before the final 4km or so back to Miramar.
“The event was very well organised, with lots of water stations to stay hydrated and keep the skull cool.”
His time of 1 hour 40 minutes was seven minutes short of his personal best but earned him a podium place and trophy in the masters’ category.
“I don’t think too much about my cancer,” he said. “My view is life is for living – or running in my case.”
Nicol said he wants to use his experience to continue to raise awareness of prostate cancer, especially after six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy revealed his own cancer was terminal.
The founder of Sputnik Digital said his diagnosis ‘came out of nowhere’ as he had no symptoms and regularly competed in marathons and Ironman competitions across Europe.
“I didn’t feel ill,” Nicol explained. “I run 50km a week, eat healthily, and I’m generally in good shape. But I decided to get a health MOT shortly after my 50th birthday, just to be safe.
“I submitted some blood samples and was checked for about 30 conditions. The one that came back as a cause for concern was my PSA.”
PSA is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer and Nicol’s result came back as 3.8.
A subsequent biopsy found traces of cancer in 14 out of 20 samples and he opted for a prostatectomy.