15 May 2025
For the first time ever, we have highly sought-after charity places for the TCS London Marathon. If you missed out on a ballot place, this is your chance to raise thousands to inspire brighter futures for young people living through and beyond cancer, all while achieving a lifetime’s ambition.
That’s what Will and Rob did when they completed this year’s marathon on 27 April. Among more than 56,000 runners, their Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust-blue t-shirts stood out on a day Rob described as ‘so much more than I was expecting’.
The right charity
Rob had applied for 2024’s ballot following the story of Tom Durnin, who crossed the finish line in 2023 following a devastating car crash. He had to defer, but always knew he wanted to run for a charity.
He said: “Trying to find the right charity took longer than expected. I wanted to raise money for a charity that had ties with waterborne activities as I work in a water safety role and always considered being in or around the water a powerfully peaceful place.
“I was travelling over to the Isle of Wight for work and saw a video about the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust on the ferry which sparked the idea.
"Once I read a bit more about the amazing work of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, I knew this would be the charity I wanted to run for so I set up the fundraising page and got to work as soon as I got home.”
Rob grew up in southeast London and, as a scout, would hand water out at the Marathon each year. He knew the route and had felt the atmosphere. But actually running the race blew him away.
“There wasn’t a single stretch that didn’t have a crowd cheering us all on or handing out extra sweets. It was so much more than I was expecting, and I ended up taking off my headphones to soak up as much of the atmosphere as possible.”
His highlights from the day include the incredible crowd, the boost from seeing his family at various points, and having a chance to run alongside someone dressed as a rhino, who was his favourite runner as a child. It was a ‘full circle moment’.
Thanks to the support of amazing donors, Rob has raised more than £1,200 for young people living through and beyond cancer. The marathon was held on a hot spring day, and Rob said sprinkler stations along the route, and additional ones provided by the London Fire Brigade, were very welcome. Speaking of firefighters…
An exclusive running club
Will is a Leading Firefighter at Paddington Fire Station in London. He was also supported by the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust after being treated for stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma when he was a teenager.
“The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust continues to have an affect on me even 14 years after my trip. The friends I made then are still some of my closest friends now. They all came to my wedding and I went to theirs."
He hoped taking part in the marathon would spark more conversations about child and young adult cancer as ‘people tend to shy away from it’, he said.
On the day itself, Will felt like he was part of an exclusive running club: “I knew there was someone else out there running for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, so to be one of only a couple among a sea of 56,000 finishers sporting the blue t-shirt felt like an honour.”
Like Rob, the best parts of his day all involved the support he received from others, especially when seeing his wife pop up at various points around the course.
To anyone considering signing up for the marathon, Will would ‘100% recommend it’. The experience of the day outweighed how fast he ran or how long it took to reach the finish. For him, it was about being out in the middle of London with thousands of other runners with incredible stories all around him.
2026: your turn
Next year’s London Marathon will be held on Sunday 26 April. That’s plenty of time to start training, raise money for young people living through and beyond cancer, and take part in the experience of a lifetime.
Visit our 2026 TCS London Marathon page here for more details, including how to apply for an Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust charity place in next year’s event.
Medal in Manchester
On the same day thousands took to the capital's streets, the same was happening up north. After completing the Cardiff Half Marathon last year, Louis continued his efforts by smashing the Manchester Marathon too.
He ran both in memory of his brother Alex, who died of leukaemia ten years ago. Louis said: "The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust supported Alex both physically and mentally during his treatment. He found that the charity gave him some time to enjoy sailing with other people that were fighting similar battles.
"Running the marathon for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust was a true honour. I didn't only feel that I was representing the charity, but also my brother and everyone that has been positively affected by the charity's support."
As with London, the crowds were his highlights of the day, and the support gave Louis a kind of boost he had never experienced before. Strangers shouted his name, and sweets and fruit were being given out by those on the sidelines.
Between Cardiff and Manchester, Louis has managed to raise more than £1,500 (including Gift Aid).
From all of us at the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, a massive thank you to Rob, Will, and Louis!