I’m running the London Marathon 2026 – and this time, I’m more determined than ever!

In 2023, I took on the marathon for the first time in memory of my amazing mum. But around mile 10, my knee locked up- i couldnt bend my leg. I had to walk 8 miles in pain and tears of frustration- I just wanted to do my Mum proud– until a kind Italian stranger named Fabio (yes, really!) stopped me, massaged my leg on the roadside, and somehow got me moving again. I ran the final 8 miles thanks to him. I finished – just – but it’s always bugged me that I couldn’t give it my best.

So now, I’m going again. Unfinished business – and this time, I want to do it right.

I’ll be running once more in memory of my mum, who we lost to cancer in 2018. It breaks my heart that my Mum never met my children Aida and Frank and running this marathon also gives me the best possible reason to talk to them and to My eldest son Oliver about their Granny and keep her memory alive.

She was brave, selfless, and fought so hard – and when she needed it most, the Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice stepped in with incredible care and compassion. They helped her, and they helped us too – my sister, Lauren, Mum’s partner and me – in ways I’ll never forget. Their bereavement support also helped me through some tough times and days afterward; and its for this reason why I am so keen to raise as much money as possible to enable them to continue to help other families when they need it most.

But this time, I’ll also be running with Cathy in my heart too – Lauren’s mum – who we heartbreakingly lost to Cancer in October 2023 too. Cathy was one of my biggest supporters in 2023, supporting me all the way, and it means the world to now run in her memory too.

This marathon is for both of them.

Please donate if you can, share if you’re able, or just send a bit of encouragement – it all makes a massive difference.

Thanks for reading,

Ben