It is a dream come true to have this opportunity to run the London Marathon 2024 for St Joseph's Hospice. I rent one of the private offices in their buildng in Hackney, London, so know first-hand what a truly special place it is. In a city full of transience and transactions, St Jo's stands tall as a beacon of hope, a proper community establiishment offering free end-of-life care to both inpatients and out in the community. It is a place full of deeply caring and humble staff, where people of all backgrounds drop in for tea, food and a stroll around the pristine gardens, a real oasis of calm and tranquility and a place I am proud to have built such a strong connection with.

I'm currently running 45km/week, building up 10% every week until I'll be hitting around double that number before the big day running 42k on Sunday April 21st. So it's a lot, plus strength sessions as well, but this training alone has been an incredible experience, taking a discipline and dedication that I haven't ever channeled into achieving a goal as concrete as this.

I know my late mum, Lousie Emanuel, would have been extremely proud of me for raising money in her memory, after she was so cruellly taken from us with a rare brain disease at 63 years-old in May 2017.

The incredible care that she received, and the compassion that was shown to our family over those heart-breaking months, opened my eyes to the vital role that end-of-life carers plays in our societies, making me passionate about raising awareness and funds for hospices, as well as spurring me to do my bit in improving death literacy

Thank you so much for any support that you are able to offer,

Alex x