Inspiring participants getting ready for 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon

Every year thousands of participants complete the Virgin Money London Marathon for their own personal reasons – to achieve a personal best time, to challenge themselves, to tick it off their bucket list, and to raise money and awareness for charitable causes close to their hearts.

On Sunday 3 October, the Virgin Money London Marathon will return to its iconic central London course for the first time in 889 days after last being held there in April 2019.The campaign, We Run Together, celebrates the determination, dedication and perseverance of the many thousands of people who have waited 18 long months to get to the Start Line on Sunday 3 October.

Here is a selection of inspiring stories from some of this year’s participants:

Louise Bartha, 47, from Brighton

Mum-of-two Louise was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2016, followed by basal cell carcinoma two years later, and a lung cancer diagnosis in early 2019. Previously a fit non-smoker, Louise had a lung resection and then half her left lung removed. She credits running for helping her through her recovery and will be running the Virgin Money London Marathon for the first time in 2021, supporting this year’s Charity of the Year, Macmillan. Louise and her family have been supported throughout all of her diagnoses by Macmillan and she is now a volunteer at their Horizon Centre in Brighton, where she received counselling throughout her treatment.

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