Cassia & Logan’s 2026 London Marathon Challenge – Running for Starlight

I have never been a runner — let alone a long-distance runner. Until recently, I could barely jog 3km without stopping. Swimming, on the other hand, has always been my comfort zone. A 10–15km marathon swim wouldn’t faze me. But this time, I’ve chosen a much harder path: on 26th April 2026, I’ll be running the London Marathon with my 19-year-old daughter Cassia — an experienced long-distance runner and, more importantly, my inspiration for taking on this challenge.

This is not something I’ve taken lightly. In fact, the marathon felt so daunting that I even had a heart CT scan to get medical clearance from my surgeon. But rather than take the easier route, we are deliberately pushing ourselves through this barrier for one powerful reason: to raise awareness and funds for Starlight (www.starlight.org.uk), a wonderful charity that brings play, laughter, and joy to seriously ill children.

This cause is deeply personal. In 2006, my wife’s family lost their only child — my niece — at the age of just 14. In her memory, I first fundraised for Starlight in 2021, swimming 2.5km in the Thames at Henley and raising just over £3,000.

Tragically, stories like hers are not rare. Since then, close friends and relatives have also faced the unimaginable loss of children to serious illness — a friend in Norway lost his 13-year-old daughter, and another relative’s young daughter is bravely battling a rare cancer at Great Ormond Street Hospital at the age of just nine. These stories remind us all too often how vital charities like Starlight are.

We’re not regular fundraisers. But we believe this cause is worth every step, every ache, and every mile of the 42km marathon we will run — side by side, father and daughter.

Although I’ve never been a runner, I’ve embraced this mammoth challenge with Cassia. Together, we are training with patience, dedication, and determination — committed to reaching the finish line for Starlight.

If you are able, we would be deeply grateful for your support. Every donation — big or small — will go directly to helping Starlight bring light, laughter, and play to seriously ill children today and in the future.

Thank You .