Niftylift employee honours late colleague with ultramarathon for Leukaemia UK

Niftylift’s environmental health and safety (EHS) officer, Nick Fox, has completed an extraordinary 250km ultramarathon from the company’s facility in Hoyland, South Yorkshire, to its headquarters in Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes, in honour of his late colleague and friend Brailer Cuevas.

Brailer, a senior control systems engineer at Niftylift, died following complications relating to leukaemia and the four-day solo challenge, which took place between 30 May and 2 June 2025, was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of his death.

The ultramarathon has so far raised £2500 for Leukaemia UK, with all logistics and equipment costs covered by Nick himself to ensure 100% of donations go directly to the charity. His JustGiving page remains open until 28th August 2025.

“Hopefully, I did Brailer proud,” Nick said. “It was a rollercoaster with some very interesting sights along the way – but every step was worth it.”

This was Nick’s first multi-day ultramarathon, completed in a total time of 38 hours and 25 minutes (excluding overnight stops). He was supported along with way by colleagues, friends, and donors, many of whom turned out to cheer him on throughout the route.

Leukaemia UK’s mission is to “bring together the leukaemia community so we can find and fund the life-changing research that matters most”. In the UK, 28 people are diagnosed with leukaemia every day – that’s 9907 every year. Despite progress, fewer than 60% of patients in England survive five years or more after diagnosis. The disease is also the most common type of cancer in children under 17, with more than 650 children and young adults diagnosed annually.

Described by colleagues as both a personal mission and a team effort, the challenge served as a poignant reminder of the strong sense of community at Niftylift.

“Nick’s achievement reflects not only incredible physical endurance but also the deep respect and camaraderie shared within the company,” said Simon Maher, Niftylift’s marketing manager. “We’re all incredibly proud of what he’s done to honour Brailer’s memory.”

Donate via JustGiving or find out more from Leukaemia UK.