Our biggest London Marathon team ever!
15 September 2021
This year the Virgin Money London Marathon is back on the streets of central London and with our virtual runners taking part too – from as far afield as the USA – we have our biggest ever team! With the event only a few weeks away, we would like to introduce our amazing runners.
Sarah Jones
Sarah Jones is running the London Marathon for the second time, after completing the virtual event in 2020. She is fundraising to support the development of two new apps for epilepsy diagnosis and treatment. The marathon is just one of the many events Sarah is taking part in this year, so far raising thousands towards her target of £10,000. View Sarah’s fundraising page.
Will Stein
Will is running not one, but four marathons to fundraise for neuroendocrine tumour research. His mum, Philippa, has been struggling with these slow growing tumours since 2007. Professor Martyn Caplin is conducting research at the Royal Free Hospital to better understand the tumours and develop more effective treatments. Visit Will’s fundraising page.
Leon Saragoussi
Leon will be running his first ever marathon to raise money for the cancer nursing fund. He lost his mum and grandpa to cancer and was inspired to raise money for the Royal Free Charity after recognising the support patients and families need. Visit Leon’s fundraising page.
Katie Trott
Katie was not only born at Chase Farm Hospital, she was also an integral part of developing the digital hospital that we know today in her role as chief nursing information officer. She will be fundraising for Chase Farm Hospital to ensure patients continue to get the best experience possible. Visit Katie’s fundraising page.
Laura Adams
Laura is excited to finally run the London Marathon this autumn after training for the cancelled events twice last year. She is fundraising for the Helping Hands Fund which aims to make the experience for children with cancer at Barnet Hospital as stimulating and positive as possible with educational resources, toys, music and massage therapy. Visit Laura’s fundraising page.
Abhay Gohel
Abhay is taking part in the London Marathon for all the charities that have played a part in the care of his son, Khaiya. Khaiya was born prematurely at Barnet Hospital and the family spent many weeks there before visiting other specialist units around London. Abhay wants to give back to staff who became their family in that difficult time. View Abhay’s fundraising page.
Mel Manton
26.2 miles is a fitting distance for Mel, who has worked in the NHS for 26 years! She is now working at Chase Farm Hospital. After contracting Covid-19 during the pandemic it took some time to get back up to longer distance running so she is very pleased to be taking part. She has been inspired to fundraise for staff rest spaces and to help the hospital recover from the pandemic as part of our Breaking Point appeal. Visit Mel’s fundraising page.
These extraordinary times mean that runners also have the option to take part in the London Marathon wherever they live. The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is home to a number of national specialist centres and welcomes patients from across the country. Here are some of our virtual runners this year:
Stephen Downer
Stephen has taken part in many events to fundraise for the charity. He is running the marathon to fundraise for our complementary therapy team who offer massage therapy to enhance the trust’s care for its patients and support for its staff. Visit Stephen’s fundraising page.
Anastasia Chajeki & Flore De Nolet
Friends Anastasia and Flore are running to raise funds for the dementia ward. After their volunteering at the Royal Free Hospital was cut short due to the pandemic they wanted to find a new way to support the hospitals. Both have witnessed the devastating impact of dementia and wanted to support families in similar situations. Visit Anastasia and Flore’s fundraising page.
Brian Armstrong
Brian is running to raise money for the the National Amyloidosis Centre. His father-in-law passed away from amyloidosis, a rare and serious condition. The centre, based at the Royal Free Hospital, leads research and development into the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Visit Brian’s fundraising page.
Adam Jeffryes, Harriet MacDonald and Craig Binch will also be joining the start line in October. Good luck to all our runners!
Lead photo: Sarah Jones
