Meet our 2026 London Marathon Runners
Amongst those 55,000 people are some very special individuals who have spent the last 6 months training and fundraising for Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre. They’ve put in the miles, time and effort to ensure they are ready for their victory lap on Sunday 26th April.
We’d love to introduce you the people who have shared the reasons why they’ve chosen to support Primrose and how they’ve been preparing. Keep reading to get to know them a little better…
Jamie Green
What inspired you to take part in the London Marathon, and why did you choose Primrose as your charity to support? Taking part in the London marathon has always been a
bucket list thing to do for myself and to me there’s no better way to enjoy the experience whilst raising money for a local charity who put in so much effort to support families!
Is this your first marathon, and what are you most looking forward to? Yes it’s my first marathon but I’ve done a couple of half marathons and a few other fitness challenges. I’m most looking forwards to the sense of achievement once I cross that finish line!
What’s your favourite snack after a long run? Favourite snack after a long run has to be a bag of Haribo tangfastics as the perfect excuse for a load of sugar!!!
Do you have any tips for your fellow runners? My tip to any runners is to just enjoy the whole process , if you make it a chore to go running you’ll never enjoy any of it and are likely to stop ! So enjoy it, go with friends/family and be proud of every achievement you get!
Sean Ryan
What inspired you to take part in the London Marathon, and why did you choose Primrose as your charity to support? For me, the inspiration came from Primrose and
everything they do to support patients and families in our community. My family has firsthand experience of their incredible care and compassion, so being able to support them by running the most iconic marathon major is a pleasure.
Is this your first marathon, and what are you most looking forward to? This will be my second marathon, after running Stratford upon Avon last year in support of Primrose. I’m really looking forward to the sights and sounds along the course, and the chance to run the same route as some of my running idols will be incredible.
What’s your favourite snack after a long run? I’m pretty boring when it comes to this sort of thing, so my go to is usually a protein shake followed by a nice coffee. However, if there happens to be a doughnut lying around, I might treat myself.
Do you have any tips for your fellow runners? I have only been running for about two years, but I’ve managed to fit in a lot of races during that time, so the best tips / mantras I have are..” Remember to smile” no matter how painful or hard you’re battling lift your head up and smile. There’s science behind this and is something I try hard to remember. The other is to remember “Every pace has a place” so never think you’re too slow or fast to take up running…. there’s room for everyone.
Mike Smaylen
What inspired you to take part in the London Marathon, and why did you choose Primrose as your charity to support? I’ve always been active and sporty in general, playing
rugby from the age of 5 and still going at 34 along with going to the gym and being a huge football and cricket, fan etc.
I grew up and spent the first 20 odd years of my life living on Rutherford Road which is just under 400m from Primrose Hospice – always passing it going out with friends, to the cricket club or on runs.
My father in law Kevin Schofield was diagnosed with bowel cancer in August 2020, by winter 2020 he had been given weeks maybe even days to live – he managed to fight on and battle through, in this time seeing the birth of his first grandchild and my nephew Joe and then my eldest Daughter Martha, until his passing on 16th December 2021 at the family home in Bromsgrove. During this time Primrose offered amazing and kind mobile care support to Kev, his wife and main carer Sue and the wider family. Following his passing Primrose provided bereavement support services to the family in dark and challenging times.
My best mate James’ Mum, Mandy Haden, was diagnosed with Lung Cancer in 2012, which would go on and spread in later years. Mandy was omitted The Primrose Unit on the 18th January 2022 so they could provide the same palliative care they for so many in the local community for decades. Mandy, a Primrose hospice volunteer passed away 5 days later on the 23rd January 2022 surrounded by her family and the amazing nurses.
These stories, the care & services provided to the local Bromsgrove area and the fact such a place was practically on my doorstep for much of my life is why I’m happy to run 26.2 miles in aid of supporting such vital community care!
Is this your first marathon, and what are you most looking forward to? It is my first (and more than likely last) full marathon, having done 1 10k when I was at uni in Manchester and then 3 half marathons in Birmingham and Worcester between the ages of 24 and 32.
That being said I’m not an archetypal runner. I’m 6ft 1 and best part of 16st, I do just enjoy the challenge. The idea was to stop thinking about it, finally get it out of my system and do the ‘big one’ and retire my marathon career there and then….
I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing my family at various points across the route, the atmosphere in London, the finish line and the food and drink after.
What’s your favourite snack after a long run? Finding a place that does huge Nachos & Pizza and beer is what I have tasked my family with finding for after.
Do you have any tips for your fellow runners? Being my first marathon, I don’t have any specific tips about the course, tactics, fuelling plans etc.
All I can say as someone who is not looking at a specific finish time per say and to just do my best is; push through, just keep putting one-foot in front of the other, in the tough moments think of the people you are doing it for, dig deep and get it finished!
Jenna Haigney
What inspired you to take part in the London Marathon, and why did you choose Primrose as your charity to support? I’ve seen the incredible impact of Primrose’s work first
hand through my best friend’s mum, Louise, who volunteers with Primrose and gives so much of herself to support children and families every day. 2026 also marks just about 20 years since my dad ran the London Marathon for charity and I’m proud to follow in his footsteps as both a runner and fundraiser.
Is this your first marathon, and what are you most looking forward to? This is my first marathon and I am just looking forward to the atmosphere of the day. I have been a supporter for many years and nothing beats London on marathon day.
What’s your favourite snack after a long run? A rogue one – I love a cheese string after a long run, surprisingly high in protein!
Do you have any tips for your fellow runners? Try running with no music – it was an absolute game changer for me on long runs and haven’t looked back!
A HUGE thank you goes out to everyone supporting Primrose Hospice!
If you’d like to support our London Marathon runners visit this page.
