My sister and I are incredibly grateful and excited to be running the 2026 London Marathon together!

We’ll be raising money for both Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia UK in memory of our wonderful Grandma, who sadly passed away in August 2024 after living with dementia for a number of years.

Our Grandma was a huge part of our lives. We stayed with our grandparents during school holidays and went over for Sunday dinners, where she’d cook amazing food, dress to the nines, and serve numerous different desserts for us to choose from. She was always organised, loving, and genuinely interested in everything her six grandchildren were doing.

With her diagnosis came a painful change. She started forgetting birthdays, mixing up names, and doing things that made us quietly think, “That’s not like Grandma.” Things declined quickly.

As the toll grew for our Grandad, the decision was made to move her into a full-time residential care facility. Thanks to strong family support, our aunt was able to find a facility within walking distance of their home. We still visited, but it became harder to recognise the woman she once was. Though she sometimes confused her daughter with her granddaughter and no longer remembered our names, she was always overjoyed to see us — there was still something inside her that knew: “This is someone I love.”

Having seen firsthand how devastating dementia is — not just for the person living with it, but for the whole family — we wanted to do something meaningful in her memory. That’s why we’re running for two incredible charities:

Dementia UK, who provide life-changing support through Admiral Nurses — specialist dementia nurses offering expert care and advice to families across the UK.

Alzheimer’s Society, who fund vital research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of Alzheimer’s, while also providing practical support to those affected.

We hope to support the families currently facing the heartbreak of dementia, and to help work towards a future where fewer people have to experience it.

We know running 42.2km won't be easy, but we feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to take on this challenge for such an important cause.

Every donation — no matter how small — truly makes a difference. Please consider supporting us: in memory of Grandma, for all those affected by dementia, and for our very tired legs!