26.2 miles of courage, care and compassion: Our London Marathon runners raise over £30,000 for St Luke’s

Our fabulous runners…

Mum and daughter duo Lisa and Evie Rosewarne Bennett ran it together in memory of Lisa’s husband and Evie’s dad Nick and Lisa’s parents Elizabeth and Phillip. Evie described the emotional day: “That was one of the toughest days yesterday, the heat was insane! I cried about 40 million times. All I could think about was how I wish they were there watching me cross the line. I now feel like I’ve been hit by a truck and reversed over a few times but it’s all worth it for the funds raised to help support other families/patients going through it.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of St Luke’s or everyone in the group chat, they’ve made me laugh on days I didn’t think this was possible.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Katie Rhodes used to be part of our events team here at St Luke’s so has seen firsthand how important fundraising is to help us continue to deliver our care. London was the third race in 12 months that she has run for St Luke’s, so being able to run for us in our capital city was a big deal for Katie. She said: “What an experience. I laughed, I cried, I think I experienced every emotion during a tough 26.2 (or 26.68 according to my watch!) miles.

“The support from London was indescribable – I felt like a celebrity with the number of people calling my name. I hit Tower Bridge and the wall of sound was so overwhelming that I had a little cry, and it took me a while to get back in my flow after that. There were a few points where the heat really got to me and I wasn’t sure I could keep going, but between the knowledge that I was supporting such an incredible cause and the unbelievable support (plus a tearful phone call with my hubby!) I kept going and the last 6 miles I grinned the whole way. It was fab to see other runners supporting St Luke’s on the course and each time that gave me a real boost too.

“The aches and pains today are 100% worth it and I’m so proud of reaching the finish line and managing to raise some funds for such a worthwhile cause in the process.”

2026 marks a special milestone for James Dawes, who will be celebrating his 40^th birthday this year, not only that, but it is also 10 years since his mum died, and running the London Marathon was a way of giving something back for the care she received.

James said: “I would like to say thank you to the St Luke’s team and congratulations to all of the runners! Every mile we have all run is so worth it, so we can help others that are going though what we all have gone through. St Luke’s is such an amazing space that allows for dignity, space and time when you need it most.”

After seeing his father and close family members receive care from St Luke’s, Tom Wraight set himself an extraordinary challenge: to run some of the world’s biggest marathons in their memory. After running the London and New York marathons last year, he decided to take on London again this year.

Jessica Green was running in memory of her grandad, ‘an absolute legend, whose bravery continues to inspire her’. Jessica said: “Huge thank you to St Luke’s for the constant support and everybody in the group chat! Whenever the run got hard I thought about my why, my grandad getting me through every tough mile! I’m so proud of us all for raising so much to help other families in their time of need.”