Two of Toby’s friends, Joe McNeil and Lewis Hodges, ran marathons for CRY in Toby’s memory earlier this year. They have raised over £2,500.

Joe: Had a brilliant experience running my first marathon with my dear friend Lewis in support of CRY in April. Could not have imagined a more beautiful place to do it than Rome. Training through the UK winter had been particularly tough but made us all the more grateful for the flawless sunny weather we were blessed with out in Italy. The route was truly magnificent, showcasing the best of what the city had to offer. Highlights included the Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Spanish Steps. Things got super tough for me as we passed the 20-mile point but we both managed to grind it out somehow and get to the finish line in front of the Colosseum. Post-race carbonara was pure bliss. Special props to Lewis for overcoming a hamstring injury to finish the race. Amazing support we had received gave us the extra motivation we needed to get the thing done. Really proud to have completed a marathon and to have raised some money for a beautiful cause in memory of a very special person in Toby.

Lewis: I ran the Rome & London marathons (Rome with my good friend Joe) earlier this year in support of CRY & in memory of Toby Hayward-Seers. Both were fantastic experiences – although Rome had a little more heat! I used to go for training runs with Toby so the two events were a great way to feel close to him and honour his memory. The energy of the London crowd in particular will stay with me for a long time – the noise and numbers unparalleled. We were so grateful for all the love, support and donations we received leading up to the event. Hope we did you proud T!