A runner devoted to the cause of fighting childhood cancer returned to Bermuda at the weekend to continue his campaign across three races in three days — and finished elated.

“It gets exponentially better every year,” said Kevin Maloney, who took on the three legs of the Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge under the catchphrase Run for Lisa, in memory of his wife, who lost her life to the disease in 2016.

Rising to the challenge year after year has made Mr Maloney a powerhouse for the St Baldrick’s Foundation, dedicated to medical research and bettering the lives of children with cancer.

“I love every aspect of it,” Mr Maloney told The Royal Gazette after taking on the Butterfield Front Street Mile on Friday evening, the BF&M 10K race in Saturday, and the PwC Bermuda Half Marathon yesterday.

“I will go anywhere we’re invited but my first love is always Bermuda.”

It was his seventh time taking part, this time with a team of 50 supporters. As Mr Maloney celebrated at the finish with his friends, the latest round of fundraising stood at $92,000 and counting, bringing them ever closer to a $700,000 total.

Mr Maloney had taken on the Bermuda Triangle Challenge raising money for the cancer charity well before his wife’s death from the illness.

Lisa was a keen supporter of the St Baldrick’s Foundation, combining her love of children with her passion for helping people with cancer.

The senior vice-president at Allied World in New York has run for events on the island since 2012.

Lisa had stage 4 cancer diagnosed in 2015 and died 11 months later, aged 48.

However, devastating his loss, Mr Maloney only grew more determined to keep going in his labour of love — and this weekend was no different.

“Trying to help people is always a good thing, especially kids,” the Long Island native said. “No kid should ever have to be faced with a cancer diagnosis.

“My wife, Lisa, told me when she was in the bargaining phase with her illness, ‘When I get better, I promised God that you and I would go around hospitals and counsel people, tell them my story and raise money.

“When you lose someone you really love, you go through grief, but at some point you have to realise that life is short. I thank God he sent me Lisa — there was a lot of pain with her illness but I would not have missed a second of it all.

“This keeps her memory alive as a beautiful, loving spirit.”

He added: “Cancer kicked me. I’d like to kick it back.”

Mr Maloney, who started running back in high school and turns 60 in June, has lost the exact count of the marathons he has notched up.

“I’ve done probably 40 marathons, all over the US. It’s tough to have a favourite; they’re all so different, so many good ones — New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte.

“A guy from Boston came up to me and said, ‘I’ve read all about you. You’re a real hero. Will you come to Boston?’ Sure. I’ll go anywhere.”

Last year for the Challenge, it was sunny. This year, it was rainy and humid, making the event a tougher slog, but Mr Maloney had friends and fellow runners Matt Hansen and Mike Almskog alongside him to “carry me through it”.

Mr Almskog said: “It’s such a great time. We meet more and more people down here every year.”

Mr Maloney added: “Mike did all three with me and it’s a labour of love for him, too. I think it’s painful for him to run that slow. He’s been with me since the beginning. He’s a driving force.”

He thanked Allied World for its dedicated support and sponsorship of the Run for Lisa, including “beautiful” trademark shirts for participants.

He added that the company’s chairman of reinsurance, John Bender, had been among those who came up with the idea of St Baldrick’s in 1999.

“John was one of the group sitting around in a bar who came up with this idea to shave their heads to raise money. John and I grew up together and he took pictures for us at our wedding. They thought maybe they would raise $5,000.”

The first St Baldrick’s event in 2000 raised more than $100,000.

“They realised they were on to something,” Mr Maloney said. ”Now it’s all over the world.“

Ali Hochberg, an executive committee member for the Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge, said: “It’s very special for us to be able to support something so meaningful.

“It means a lot making new friends, who have become like family.”

Mr Maloney was looking forward to some down time today before travelling home tomorrow.

He added: “I have promised the Bermudian people that I will be doing this to the day I die, every year.

“I will always come back for another Triangle Challenge.”