On Sunday 3rd October 2021 we will (hopefully!) run the London Marathon for Diabetes UK, in memory of Callum who died from an asthma attack in May 2017. We are a team of his best school friends and his girlfriend of five and a half years.

These 26.2 miles represent so much more than it is possible to write down. This is not just a run. This is our way of honouring the memory and fulfilling a dream of a man who we are truly lost without. A man who was so infinitely generous, selfless and kind. A man who loved to love, who seemed to always be smiling. A man who in his 25 years never left anyone behind. We miss him every second of every day and are forever striving to make him proud in the choices that we make.

Ever since moving to London, Callum wanted to run this marathon. It will be nearly three and a half years since he died when we cross the finish line. To do this without him is heartbreaking. To do this for him is the greatest, most humbling honour we will ever have.

A huge part of this is about raising money, and the charity we are running for couldn’t have been closer to Callum’s heart. His younger sister Maariyah was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 13. Callum taught himself everything he could about the condition, learned how to calculate how much insulin Maariyah would need, and helped her conquer her fears of injecting herself. He saw for himself how life altering diabetes is and did not want to stop there. In typical Callum style, he found a way to make even more of a difference. Callum got a job in the Diabetes UK fundraising team, where he was working for the last year of his life. He was so proud and passionate to be raising money for a charity that funds life changing research and provides expert support to people like his sister living with diabetes.

Running this marathon for Diabetes UK is our chance to continue Callum’s fundraising legacy. It is our chance to run a race that he dreamed of, but never got to run. Our aim is to approach it with the same positivity and dedication that he brought to this world, to inspire others, and to support each other as we come together to remember such an incredible man.

Callum’s colleagues have been so generous in letting us do this. We are committed to doing everything we can to do him proud and reach the fundraising target Diabetes UK have set for us to secure our marathon places. It’s a hell of a lot of money, but this is one hell of a challenge and it would mean the world to us to be able to do it. Please donate as much as you are able, share our page and cheer us on in October if you can!

After the pandemic postponed the April 2020 race, we are determined to come back as strong as possible in October 2021 for a marathon we've trained for not once, but three times. We appreciate your ongoing support so much.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, taking the time to donate, and taking the time to listen to us complain about the torturous training plan that lies ahead…!

Callum, we love you. This one’s for you.

Sarah, Rory, Niall & Sam

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