Our 2025 London Marathon Runners
09 April 2025
On 27 April, we will have 11 incredible supporters running the London Marathon for Sobell House.
Our Hospice Heroes are taking on the challenge in memory of loved ones, some of whom have shared with us more about their run and the loved ones who were cared for by our palliative care teams. Read on to hear more about our Hospice Heroes.
Paul
‘Unfortunately, my family needed Sobell House’s support last year as my mother-in-law, Joan, became very ill following a cancer diagnosis six years ago. Joan moved in with us in August 2024 so we could care for and support her. Sadly, Joan’s health deteriorated, and Joan passed in December a few days before Christmas. Sadly, Joan never got to see her granddaughter get married and to see her new great-grandson in 2024.
Sobell House supported us through these very difficult times and our family could not have coped without Sobell House’s help during the last few months of Joan’s life. Words cannot express how thankful we are.
I was lucky to be invited to run the London Marathon on behalf of Sobell House to say thank you for caring for Joan; every penny and pound raised will support Sobell House for the great work they carry out, supporting loved ones at their time of need.’
Christian
Joseph
Bronwen
Cian
‘I have run the London Marathon a few times before; however, this time, I am running it in honour of my Mum – Pauline – who sadly died on 18th September 2024 at Sobell House just under a month before her 75th Birthday. This was following a very recent and unexpected diagnosis of stomach cancer, having been admitted to hospital less than a month before.
Sobell House cared for her as an individual and provided the space and support that our family needed to say goodbye to her at such an incredibly difficult time in a way that was as positive as it could be. I am very grateful to their staff and for the work that they do in very challenging circumstances. I’m very grateful to all of the staff at the hospice for their care and kindness to me and my family.’
Janine
‘I’m running the London Marathon 2025 in memory of a dear friend, Rachel Slater.
Rachel was 55 when we had to say goodbye. She was a mum, a daughter, a sister, a nanna, a partner, an incredible friend, and a warrior. She spent her career caring for other people as a nurse, (which is where I met her on the first day of our training course in Leeds).She had an undeniable passion for life, for extracting every minute out of every day and Rachel spent her final days in the care of Sobell House Hospice surrounded by her friends and family.
I had a place already in the London Marathon – this will be my 25th Marathon and the 8th time I have run London – so I decided that I would like to run it for Sobell, for Rachel and with Rachel.
I have a lovely picture of Rachel and her daughter, printed on the back of my Sobell running vest and I have Rachel’s name printed on the front, so for the 26.2 miles, hundreds of people will be shouting out Rachel’s name, telling her what a warrior and a fighter she is as we trot round the city together.
I am sure there will be tears but there will also be chuckles and giggles, as I remember some of the time we had together over the years in Halifax, where we are from, in Leeds where we trained and in Oxford and Leeds where we lived.
Sobell House cared for her as an individual and provided the space and support that our family needed to say goodbye to her at such an incredibly difficult time in a way that was as positive as it could be. I am very grateful to their staff and for the work that they do in very challenging circumstances. I’m very grateful to all of the staff at the hospice for their care and kindness to me and my family.’
