Story
I was born with Morning Glory Syndrome in my left eye, which includes both microphthalmia and a coloboma. It also means I have no vision in that eye and my face looks a bit different.
On Sunday 26th April 2026, I’ll be running the TCS London Marathon to raise money for MACS (Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia and Coloboma Support) – a charity that means a lot to me, because I live with these conditions myself.
For those who don’t know:
M = Microphthalmia – when an eye is smaller than usual and doesn’t develop fully.
A = Anophthalmia – when someone is born without one or both eyes.
C = Coloboma – a gap or split in part of the eye.
S = Support – what MACS provides to thousands of families across the UK.
Growing up monocular made life hard to navigate at times (I bump into things a lot) and my family and I often felt like we were figuring it out alone. I wish that charities like MACS had existed when I was a small one eyed child. They:
- Provide grants so children can get life-changing equipment
- Organise family weekends and activity trips,
- Run a thriving peer support community
- Partner with leading researchers to advance understanding of rare eye development worldwide.
Running has become a big part of my life recently — I only started in earnest in 2023, and since then I’ve completed two half marathons. I’m now a proud member of Wapping Running Club and I run parkrun every Saturday, both of which keeps me motivated and part of a brilliant running community. The London Marathon will be my toughest challenge yet, but every mile will be worth it to support a cause so close to my heart.
To hit my fundraising target, I’ll be pulling out all the stops: catsitting, pub quizzes, sweepstakes, and being completely shameless on social media - watch this space.
💙 Every donation, big or small, will help MACS continue their incredible work. Please support me if you can – together we can make a real difference.
Chris x