In October 2023 I ran the Amsterdam marathon in memory of my friend Toby, who died from a cardiac arrest earlier this year whilst running the Barcelona marathon. Running was a huge party of Toby’s life and something we used to talk about a lot. I remember speaking to him before I ran my first marathon in 2022 – his main piece of advice being “remember to enjoy it”, which is a true reflection of his attitude towards running and life!

I had a great time running the marathon this year and am very grateful for all the support from my friends on the day who managed to see me at six different points round the course. I wasn’t able to run it in the time I was aiming for as I picked up a last minute ankle injury, but I’m very proud to have gotten round. Would also like to give a shout-out to my brother, Rory, who I was on the phone with for an hour whilst limping round.

I’m also extremely grateful for everyone who donated, and have been amazed and humbled by people’s generosity. It’s great to be able to donate over £1,500 to CRY’s important work – so thank you to everyone who donated!

It was very emotional crossing the finish line and am so pleased to have done this for Toby. I miss him, and am sure we would have been very proud. – Joe Howlett