Marathon Hero George Wade Nears £100k Target After Inspirational Gavel Auction Triumph

Bidders lined up to raise £41,000 in the latest initiative, with supporters hoping to help George reach a six-figure sum by Christmas.

He had already raised £41,000 for The National Brain Appeal and the Brain Tumour Charity by running the London Marathon. Now George Wade has doubled that with help from friends and colleagues through The Gavel Trail and Auction.

This brings George’s campaign within sight of the £100,000 finish line as he strives to help others who have suffered from the same devastating medical diagnosis he has faced.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a family friend and local MP, helped launch the campaign.

“I want to thank everyone who supported me and everyone else who made this happen. It’s been an incredible experience,” said George, “and the journey continues.”

That journey began in April 2024, when marathon runner George started suffering from light sensitivity, stroke-like symptoms and weakness down his left side. He was just 41.

A precautionary MRI scan led to a devastating diagnosis: two tumours – a grade four astrocytoma the size of a tennis ball on the right side of his brain and another golf-ball-sized growth in the middle.

Medical specialists believe the tumours may have been growing for up to 20 years, with symptoms appearing once they began to press on his brain.

After eight hours of surgery at UCL Hospital in London, surgeons removed the larger tumour, but the procedure left George unable to open his left hand or walk.

With determination and physiotherapy, he was walking within two days, and running again within a month.

By April 2025, a year after the first signs that something was wrong, George ran a personal best of 3 hours and 16 minutes in the London Marathon, raising £41,000 for the two charities, which fund research into diagnosing and treating neurological conditions.

Further events brought the total to almost £50,000. Now The Gavel Trail and Auction, organised by The Bidpath Foundation – itself inspired by George’s courage – has pushed the running total close to £100,000 in support of charities focused on brain conditions and children’s palliative care.

The art trail ran throughout September and October, culminating in an auction of specially commissioned artworks on 6 November.

Auctioneers across the UK and overseas – many of whom know George through his work – sponsored The Gavel Trail and Auction by commissioning an artist to design and decorate a blank gavel-shaped sculpture.

Artists, including several from Wild in Art’s network, completed the sculptures either at the sponsors’ salerooms or in their own studios before they went on public display for two months. The auction took place at Surveyors House, RICS Westminster.

Each auction house displayed its gavel throughout September and October. Sponsors included:

– BPI Auctions, Normanton
– British Medical Auctions, Bracknell
– Chiswick Auctions, West London
– Forum Auctions, Battersea
– Galerie Zacke, Vienna
– G.J. Wisdom, Orpington
– Hansons Auctioneers, Stafford
– Roseberys Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers, Norwood
– Tennants Auctioneers, Leyburn
– Wilson55, Nantwich

Privately sponsored gavels were also hosted by supporters of the Bidpath Foundation, including:

– ANM Group Ltd, Inverurie
– Halls Auctioneers, Shrewsbury
– Helen & Douglas Hospice, Oxford
– Simon Charles, Stockport

When it came to bidding, the gavel sculpture sponsored by Tennants of Northallerton topped the sale at £10,100. “That was particularly satisfying as it had been created by the artist Jonathan Wade, whose own wife has had brain tumours,” said George.

“In fact we had at least four people at the auction whose lives had been directly touched by having someone close who had had a brain tumour.”

Wilson55 sponsored a gavel that made £4,100.

Adam Alexander, Founder and Executive Chairman of Bidpath, took to the rostrum for the evening, with the sale powered by Bidpath’s auction technology.

But it wasn’t only the auction itself that made an impression on George.

“During the gavel exhibition period I travelled all around the country visiting auction houses and businesses – many of them friends – who had sponsored a gavel, and I also went to see places like the Helen Hospice House at Oxford, who look after those with terminal illness,” said George. “The whole exercise was an incredible and inspiring experience.”

George, from Thirsk in North Yorkshire, has been supported throughout by his wife Ellie and his colleagues at Bidpath.

Moved by George’s determination, Bidpath set up the Bidpath Foundation to support charities making a difference to those facing the toughest circumstances.

“We focus on organisations whose vital work is often overlooked, ensuring they have the resources to make a meaningful impact,” said Bidpath CEO David Brindley. “Funding for our efforts comes directly from the auction community, enabling us to make a difference where it’s needed most.”

The Gavel Trail and Auction builds on Bidpath’s longstanding charity partnership with Wild In Art, which since 2019 has raised over £30 million for good causes.

“The Gavel Art Trail & Auction has shown the extraordinary power of creativity and community,” said David Brindley. “Thanks to the generosity of our artists, partners, bidders, and sponsors, we are proud to have raised £41,200 in support of three remarkable charities. These funds will help make a meaningful difference to families and individuals facing some of life’s toughest challenges. We are deeply grateful to everyone who played a part in bringing this inspiring event to life.”

Supporters can still help George reach his final target via the dedicated JustGiving page.

Even once the target is hit, George says he won’t be stopping: “We are going to take a deep breath before committing to next year, but there’s no doubt that I want to do a lot more charity work ongoing. I’m lucky because my parents-in-law run their own charity up in North Yorkshire, where we do a charity 10K race every May – we had 1,500 runners this year including Rishi Sunak.”

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