Intrepid paddle-boarders took to the Thames paddling 26 miles to raise awareness of the cancer that cut short the life of a Strawberry Hill father of two.

Gavin Murray died in October last year after battling colon cancer, leaving two young daughters.

His friends and family undertook the marathon trip from Walton-on-Thames to Putney with the charity 40tude, which raises funds to support research into the UK’s second most common cancer, also known as bowel cancer.

‘Gav’s Paddle’ has so far raised more than £90,000 to help the charity fund vital research.

Among the 70 people who braved the current and winds on stand-up paddle boards was Gavin’s wife, Louise Murray.

Louise said: “This was the perfect tribute to him. We were able to paddle along the river Gav loved, thinking and talking about him.

“The support we got along the route was amazing, from walkers, cyclists, fishermen and others on the river. The biggest cheer came from Radnor Gardens where families from our daughter’s school, Archdeacon Cambridge, kept us going.”

She said the event was “bittersweet”.

“It was wonderful to be paddling alongside so many people who cared about Gav and us, his family, but we only wished he could have been there too. He would have loved it.”

Gavin grew up in Edinburgh, and the paddlers were welcomed to the finish line in Putney by a lone piper.

The fund manager was a big supporter of the charity 40tude. Three months before he died he rowed 150 miles from the source of the Thames to Tower Bridge to raise awareness of its work.

Since it was founded in March 2011 40tude has raised over £950,000 to support pioneering research projects at St Mark’s Hospital in Harrow - the world’s leading centre for bowel disorders - targeted at the early diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.

Gordon Moore, 40tude’s founder, said: “Colon cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat if it is detected early. It is also preventable in nearly all patients, through regular screening.

“Awareness of colon cancer is therefore essential. Any abdominal symptoms or change in bowel habit should be discussed immediately with your doctor, whatever your age.

“We recommend that you are screened regularly for colon cancer from your mid-40s. The NHS is not able to offer these forms of screening to the whole population but that shouldn't stop you considering proactively adding them to your own screening programme.”

• To support Gav’s Paddle contact 40tude.org.uk