British cancer icon Jane Tomlinson dies at 43

LONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) Briton Jane Tomlinson, hailed as an inspiration for defying terminal cancer to run marathons, cycle across America and raise over a million pounds for charity, has died at the age of 43.

A family spokesman said the mother-of-three died late yesterday -- some seven years after she was diagnosed with incurable cancer and told she would not survive more than six months.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown described her as an ''inspiration to millions around the world'' and paid tribute to her ''amazing spirit'' in tackling marathons, endurance cycle ride and iron-man triathlons to raise 1.25 million pounds for cancer charities.

Her last big challenge was a cycle ride across America from San Francisco to New York in 2006.

''The whole country will be greatly saddened by the death of Jane Tomlinson,'' Brown said. ''We will remember her amazing spirit and strength and that exceptional charity work, and she will be a daily inspiration to our generation to fight on against the terrible scourge of cancer.'' Tomlinson's family admitted they were more surprised than anyone when, in October 2000, a matter of weeks after being told her cancer was terminal, she decided to join a gym.

''It seemed, on the face of it, massively out of character,'' they said in a statement. ''It is to her remarkable achievement that it became the norm for her to complete one marathon or triathlon after another.'' In April 2003, Tomlinson became the first person to run a marathon on chemotherapy when she completed her second London Marathon.

In November 2004, she became the first woman in the world with incurable cancer to complete an Ironman triathlon -- a 3.8 km swim, followed by a 180 km cycle and a full 42 km marathon.

Canadian Ryan Bowd and Scot Martyn Hollingworth, cyclists who supported Tomlinson in her ride across the United States, said she was one of few people worthy of being called remarkable.

''Inspirational and remarkable are words that are often batted around easily in our modern times of pseudo-celebrity and reality television hero manufacturing. Most people who we use these words to describe are often not worthy,'' they said in a statement. ''This was not so in Jane Tomlinson's case.'' ''Jane ... exemplified qualities of the human spirit that most people can only aspire to.'' REUTERS RS KN2025