Teen marks mum’s memory with iconic London Marathon participation

Kellie was just eight years old when her mum Dawn died on 3 May 2014. She spent the final weeks of her life being cared for by the expert team at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough.

“Because I was so young at the time, I don’t think I knew and understood everything that was going on when Mum went into the hospice. I just remember visiting her every day after school and knowing it was a nice place to be.

“The staff were amazing and supported my Mum and our family so well. When it came to deciding which charity to approach for a marathon place it was the natural choice for me.

“Sue Ryder means a lot to my family and me, as I'm sure it does to many other families, and with the London Marathon taking place less than two weeks before the 10th anniversary of my Mum's passing, I thought now would be a good time to give back to the charity,” shares Kellie.

Kellie enjoyed running during her time at school but admits she took a break after that, and it was only when she saw the London Marathon on the TV and across social media that she thought about taking on the iconic 26.2-mile race.

“Seeing footage and videos of the London Marathon I have always thought that the atmosphere looks amazing. The crowds of people are incredible, and it just looked like so much fun – although I am not sure everyone taking part would describe it as fun,” she joked.

“I signed up to run for Sue Ryder not thinking that I would ever get a place to be honest as I know people can apply many times before they do, but here we are.

“At the start of my training, I wondered how I was ever going to run five miles let alone 26.2 but it’s coming along well now.

“I created my training plan focusing on how long I could run without stopping rather than distance to begin with as this was something I was struggling with at the start

“I have now reached 14 miles so over a half marathon and am feeling good. I don’t mind how long it takes on the day though. It’s not about time for me. It’s about getting to the finish line and the feeling I will get knowing I have done it,” Kellie adds.

Cheering Kelli on from the side streets will be her dad and partner, little brother, and her boyfriend and she is looking forward to catching sight of them along the way.

Kellie has raised more than £2,125 of her £2,500 target so far and recently held a fundraiser at the local community centre where she works part-time.

“My fundraiser was a way of getting my friends and family together to have fun and raise as much money as possible towards my London Marathon target.

“We played games, took part in a quiz, and I held a raffle with some generous donations from businesses and organisations.

"The fundraising team at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice also provided me with prizes donated from local businesses. I raised £785 from the event,” shared Kellie.

“I just want to thank everyone who has supported me so far – with a special thanks to my Dad and Nan who have done so much for me and always backed me.

"I am sure Mum would be proud of me and I don’t think she would have ever expected me to do anything like this. It’s such an amazing opportunity for me, especially being so young. I can’t wait,” Kellie added.

To donate visit: Kellie Hall is fundraising for Sue Ryder (justgiving.com)

If you’re inspired by Kellie’s story and would like to run the London Marathon for Sue Ryder in 2025, visit: sueryder.org/LondonMarathon