A determined nurse who took on marathons despite having incurable cancer has died.

Marika Wiebe-Williams, of Faversham, inspired many with her fight against secondary tumours in her lymph node and left lung.

Dozens of friends, family and colleagues gathered on Wednesday for the HIV clinical nurse specialist’s funeral.

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust closed several clinics for the day to allow team members to attend.

The 50-year-old, who died on the weekend of August 25 and 26, had planned to run three marathons this year but was left heartbroken when she had to drop out of two of the races.

After beginning a further course of chemotherapy, Marika made the brave decision to walk the final marathon in Edinburgh on May 27, with her children joining her for sections of it.

A spokesman for the Trust said: “Marika was an HIV clinical nurse specialist based in the sexual health team.

“She had been living with recurrent triple negative breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in November 2016.

“We say ‘living with’ because that’s exactly what she did – she lived, and loved, life.

“Marika was an incredible force of nature who, despite being on permanent chemotherapy, continued working until just a few weeks before her death, such was her dedication to her work and to her patients.

“She loved running and was an active member of the Faversham Running Club, regularly taking part in races to raise money for charities close to her heart, and she was recently featured in an article about people who use running to cope with health conditions.

“She celebrated her 50th birthday earlier in August with her friends, her husband, Paul, and her sons, Jacob and Benjamin.

“Everyone who worked with Marika will miss her energy, her enthusiasm for her life and her work, and especially her 100-watt smile.

“Marika, on behalf of your NHS colleagues, we thank you for a lifetime of service to your patients. We thank you for your boundless positivity. and your unstinting support for your colleagues. We will miss you.”

Since her diagnosis, the senior nurse at Kent and Canterbury Hospital had undergone a single mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy.