Last Updated 6th May 2026 Amazing, incredible, epic, mind-blowing and phenomenal. These are just a few of the adjectives that myself, and tens of thousands of other participants, will use to describe taking part in the greatest single-day fundraising event on earth. The spirit of the TCS London Marathon is absolutely real and was most definitely with me on Sunday 26th April 2026.

Starting the race having not been able to run since 4th April due to tendinopathy deep within my hip, really wasn’t an ideal build-up to the big day, even walking had become painful just two weeks before marathon day. However, with the great help from Felicity at Chirofit and Tom at Elemental Health, I found myself queuing with the masses in wave 14 in the red zone, desperately hoping to survive the 26.2-mile distance.

I had tried to run just 10 days before the start but managed little more than 30 seconds due to the pain. I therefore had no choice but to listen to the specialists, take the prescribed maximum dosage of ibuprofen, undergo a series of dry needling, shockwave therapy and stretches, and then wait to see how it feels on the day.

I would also like to thank Lucy Livingstone for the slightly crazy idea of wearing a huge sugar cube, and a massive thank you to Tim Preston from Scene Event Decor (Instagram: scene_eventdecor). Tim embraced the challenge of creating this giant cube, made from 2mm plywood, coated in a sparkling crystal-like sugar layer and weighing an impressive 8kg. Thank you so much Tim, both for your time and generosity in creating what became a huge spectacle and talking point throughout the day.

Going completely against my pre-race plan and expert advice, which was to walk the first few miles and gradually introduce light running for up to a minute or so each mile, instead I ran immediately for the first 3–4 minutes, whoops! Eventually I settled into a rhythm of fast walking with occasional light running, aiming to average the entire distance under 15 minutes per mile.

From the very first seconds, the crowds began: “Come on Richard,” “Good luck cube-man,” and most commonly, “What is MODY?” Those words of encouragement were absolutely constant for the full 26.2 miles. It truly felt as though every one of the 1 million-plus spectators was personally supporting me. It is difficult to describe the feeling of support, encouragement and energy around the entire route.

This was amplified further by having my wife, son and family friend cheering me on, with the atmosphere becoming even more electric at iconic points such as the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and along the Embankment.
The journey was an extraordinary emotional rollercoaster. When the going got tough, and there were many dark moments of doubt when both body and mind were in conflict, the unwavering support along every road and roundabout seemed to reset the niggles and restore positivity for a few more miles, before the cycle began again.

Throughout the race, the question “What is MODY?” was broadcast over loudspeakers at most organised gatherings, with many people thanking me for educating them and helping to raise awareness, and others sharing that they themselves have MODY. The most powerful and emotional moment came when passing the Diabetes UK stand just before Tower Bridge. Their support was beyond incredible, very emotional indeed, and really brought home the importance of raising awareness of this very rare condition.

Crossing the finish line in just under 6 hours and 40 minutes was certainly not in my original plans, possibly an hour and a half slower than expected, but with hindsight, it gave me the gift of extra time to fully absorb the very best of British and multicultural support in one giant world famous city. Endless high-fives, bowls of jelly babies, orange segments (regrettably not Terry’s), flapjacks and countless other generous offerings kept me going. It was all absolutely fantastic, kind, thoughtful and essential fuel.

Perhaps the most ironic and emotional twist came at the finish line itself. The first person to congratulate me was a lovely lady placing my medal around my neck who also has HNF1A MODY. The second was an NHS nurse specifically trained in MODY. You simply couldn’t write the script of this journey.

It brought me back to the very beginning of this adventure, which was to thank Diabetes Jersey for their incredible work and for funding the genetic testing for families and individuals potentially carrying the mutated MODY gene.

With the help of everyone’s generosity, and despite so many other worthy causes that require funding, we have now raised almost £6,500. This is not only far beyond my wildest expectations but goes a long way to covering the costs the Charity had paid out for our genetic testing. My heartfelt thanks go to every single person who donated, your support has been my driving force and directly contributed to raising awareness of this very little-known inherited form of diabetes.

My two sisters were diagnosed with MODY as teenagers and are insulin dependent. My two older brothers were misdiagnosed as type 2 (one more than 20 years ago). I have learned more about MODY in the last two years, particularly when my eldest brother developed serious complications, including toe amputations. This led my sister to approach Bill at Diabetes Jersey, which resulted in the charity offering substantial funding for genetic testing.

A huge thank you goes to both Teresa and Bill for helping to push for improved understanding and for embarrass our government into fund future testing. Frustratingly, many or probably most GPs are still not aware of MODY’s existence, and therefore education remains essential.

If you have common diabetes symptoms and a family history of diabetes, please do not simply accept a type 2 diagnosis without discussing the possibility of MODY testing. Without correct diagnosis, serious complications may arise due to inappropriate medication. In my family alone, my father had seven children, five carry the MODY gene meaning their children now also have a 50% chance of inheriting it.

Finally, and on a lighter note, I am extremely proud to have been part of the TCS London Marathon 2026, which reclaimed the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest marathon with 59,830 finishers. It was also the race where the winner became the first person in history to run a sub-two-hour marathon under race conditions.

The pain from running this marathon is temporary, but the memories will last a lifetime.

With much love and thanks,
Richard x