The TCS London Marathon is this Sunday, 27 April, and it is the 45th time the event has taken place. This year’s event is aiming to break a world record for the most participants in a marathon, with more than 56,000 people expected to compete.

The course begins in Greenwich Park and ends on The Mall, where runners cross the finishing line after passing Buckingham Palace.

Our team of runners have dedicated countless hours to training for this event, and every one of them has a special reason for running for Momentum.

Talking about why she is running for Momentum, Emma, from Chessington, Surrey, said: “My best friend Jo and I are running for Momentum in memory of Ella, the niece of one of our good friends. Ella was a real superhero right to the end, and Momentum offered priceless support to Ella’s family at every stage. We hope that other families can benefit from the same support through donations given via our fundraising page.”

Emma added: “I have worked for the London Ambulance Service for the last 25 years and have worked for the service at the London Marathon on many occasions, so to actually run the Capital’s marathon will be amazing! Jo and I have done all our training together and we are looking forward to crossing the finish line side by side.”

Rachel, from Redhill, Surrey, is running in memory of her sister, Hannah. She said: “When Hannah was 15, she was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a bone cancer which only affects about 3 in every 1 million children. Throughout her diagnosis and treatment, Hannah remained my positive, smiley big sister and refused to let cancer dull her sparkle. Momentum will always be a charity close to my heart due to the incredible support they gave Hannah and my family throughout, helping us make treasured memories together and ensuring that we never felt like we were alone.”

Rachel continued: “It will be 15 years since Hannah died when I run the London Marathon, and I feel it is time I gave back to Momentum for all the support they gave me. I want to run to celebrate Hannah’s life and support Momentum in helping families like mine. I am hoping to finish in around five hours, but the most important thing is getting around and doing this for a very worthy cause.”

A team of brilliant Momentum volunteers will be at the sidelines in their bright green tabards cheering every single one of our runners through the finish line.

Good luck to everyone for this Sunday – we are behind you every step of the way!

If you’re able to, please consider sponsoring our incredible London Marathon runners:  Momentum Children’s Charity