London Marathon

Run the London Marathon for St. Luke’s Hospice.

Take on one of the world’s most iconic races and make every mile matter. By running the London Marathon in support of St. Luke’s Hospice, you’ll be helping local people across our local communities receive compassionate, specialist palliative and end of life care and support when they need it most.

Whether you’re chasing a personal best or ticking off a bucket-list challenge, this is your moment to do something extraordinary for yourself and for your community.

Applications to join our St. Luke's Hospice runners with one of our charity bond places are now closed. Good luck to everyone who entered.

If you are lucky enough to receive a place through the TCS London Marathon ballot and would like to join our team of runners and raise funds for St. Luke's Hospice, we would love to hear from you. Please contact our Fundraising team on the details below.

Join Team St. Luke’s Hospice today and let’s go the distance together. From your first training run to crossing the finish line on The Mall, we’ll be right behind you.

Any questions?

Please contact our Fundraising team on 01268 524973 or email [email protected].

Stories from some of our St. Luke's Hospice runners

Good luck and thank you to all of our 25 amazing runners taking on the TCS London Marathon on Sunday 26th April 2026, some of whom have shared their inspiration for taking on this iconic run in support of St. Luke's Hospice below.

Mike Wastell

St. Luke’s Hospice holds a special place in myself and my family's heart. The care and support they gave to my wife’s Nan after she was suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumour was amazing and we can’t thank them enough. So running the London Marathon for St. Luke’s Hospice will be a real special moment. It will be very emotional but an amazing experience. Training is going really well and every donation is really motivating me more. Looking forward to the day.

Lee James

I am so proud to be part of the team. My lovely Nan Alma was a big supporter of St. Luke’s Hospice for many years. I first came to hear of St. Luke’s Hospice as a boy, through her. St. Luke’s Hospice was very important to her, and she often talked of their incredible work and did things to fundraise. I fondly recall her regular bake sales which we would help with.

Leanne Palmer

In 2023 my Mum Lynne was diagnosed with Stage 3 Lung Cancer. St. Luke’s Hospice were an absolute godsend from day one. I cannot stress enough how grateful and overwhelmed we have been with the help and care we have all received from this amazing, wonderful charity. There is no one else I would rather be running this marathon for, and I am so grateful to be able to give something back.

Milly Garrard 

Seeing how St. Luke’s Hospice helped with a close family friend towards the end of her life and the care she received truly inspired me to want to raise funds in order to support the Hospice. Never taken part in any running or marathon training before. Training is going well and I’ve done a half marathon!

Josh Austin

St. Luke's Hospice holds a special place in my heart, as my Nan who I was extremely close to was cared for by the Hospice in her final days. My Nan was like a 3rd parent to me and played a big role in raising me when I was younger. The care that St. Luke's Hospice gave her meant a lot to me, so I'm extremely pleased to be running and raising money for such a wonderful cause.

John White

I am inspired to run the marathon for St. Luke's Hospice because of the incredible support they provide to patients and families during the most difficult times. Running the marathon is a personal challenge but doing it for St. Luke's Hospice makes it far more meaningful.

Jake Fairman

My main inspiration for running the London Marathon is the opportunity to do so on behalf of St. Luke’s Hospice. The hospice cared for my step mum, Michelle, after she was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer for the second time in August 2020. During an incredibly difficult period, St. Luke’s Hospice was there to offer care, compassion, and support, helping to make Michelle as comfortable as possible. That support meant everything to our family. When the opportunity came up to run the London Marathon for St. Luke’s Hospice, the charity that provided so much care and comfort to Michelle and so many others, I couldn’t say no. I’m running this marathon to raise as much money as possible in memory of Michelle, and to support the incredible work of St. Luke’s Hospice. I know she would be absolutely over the moon to see me taking on this challenge for a cause so close to our hearts.

Izzy Dowson

I’m running the London Marathon 2026 for St. Luke’s Hospice in memory of my Grandad, Ray Mitchell — my best friend and biggest supporter. We sadly lost him to pancreatic cancer in August 2023, and during his final weeks he was cared for with such compassion by the amazing team at St. Luke’s Hospice. They went above and beyond, not only for him but for me and my family as well, and that’s something we’ll always be grateful for. Running the marathon feels like a meaningful way to give back, honour my Grandad’s memory, and support the hospice that means so much to us and to so many other families.

Connor Smith

In September 2023 my dad was diagnosed with penile cancer. Hearing this news was the most horrible news and was hard to know how to take it all in. In October 2023 he went in for his first operation, which was a 6 hour operation to have the head of his penis and right lymph nodes removed. On 11th September 2024 we were told that he had a blood infection and was on the borderline for sepsis and had only days to live. At that moment my heart dropped. Everything from that moment was like a blur. I rushed back to the hotel to start packing and I had a flight booked home for the next morning. On the 4th October my dad took his last breath and passed away peacefully at home. That day I lost not only my dad but my best friend, my hero, my idol. I want to raise as much money and awareness for this rare cancer as it isn’t picked up on enough. I want to help others that are going through this and to make other people aware, so people don’t have to go through what me and my family have gone through. 

Dan Green

My beautiful sister Katie passed away at St. Luke’s Hospice on 26th January, aged just 46. Katie’s cancer journey began in December 2024, and she was under the care of St. Luke’s as an outpatient during her chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. In January, she received the devastating news that the cancer had returned, and she had at best around two months to live. Sadly, further complications just days after this prognosis meant Katie’s outlook was reduced to just a week. She was admitted to St. Luke’s and spent her final six days there. During this time, the care and support from the entire team in managing her pain and making her comfortable was incredible. St. Luke’s also provided a peaceful and welcoming place for her friends and family to spend precious time with her during these final days. Nothing was ever too much. When I found out in June that I had secured a ballot place, there was no doubt in Katie’s mind that St. Luke’s was the charity she wanted me to run for and I cannot wait to run in her memory and raise funds for such a worthy cause.

Luke Shotter & Kate Kilbane 

In January 2025 unfortunately Kate and I lost a very dear friend to bowel cancer. Toni had only just turned 37, and there was a very short time between diagnosis and Toni sadly passing. I had known Toni for over 20 years having first met when we worked together in Tesco, and Kate had known Toni even longer having been school friends from a young age. Toni was an incredible person who always put the needs of others before her own. In her final days Toni wanted to ensure that the environment she was in was the best possible place for her family to visit as she couldn't go home. St. Luke's Hospice were amazing in ensuring that this became a reality, and enabled Toni to be surrounded by family and friends in her final days, most importantly a safe and human place for her children to visit. We felt running the marathon was a great opportunity to show our appreciation to St. Luke’s Hospice for everything they did for Toni and her family in what was an horrific time. 

Robyn Bartholomew

I have been inspired to run for St. Luke’s Hospice as my Grandad was part of their care for many years, leading up to his two months stay in both the Basildon and Thurrock Hospices receiving palliative care, until he sadly passed away in October 2024. The team at both hospices were very caring to my Grandad and us as a family, and we couldn’t be more appreciative and thankful to them all. I have previously raised money for St. Luke’s Hospice by running the Vitality 10k with my auntie. This made me sign up for the marathon to continue to raise money for the Hospice to provide other families with the same experience that my Grandad and we did as a family, throughout the difficult time. I have only ever run one marathon before in 2024 and I enjoyed the experience and ready to face the challenge again, with the support of family and St. Luke’s Hospice’s cheering teams!! 