Story added: 1st May 2026

Runners raise £22,000 at TCS London Marathon 2026 for the Foundation 

The streets of London were alive with colour, noise and emotion last weekend as 12 incredible supporters took on the iconic TCS London Marathon in aid of the Community Sports Foundation, raising an outstanding £22,000 to support our work with disabled and disadvantaged individuals across Norfolk.  

From the moment our runners picked up their race packs at the expo, the capital was buzzing. On race day sunshine, music and packed pavements created an unforgettable atmosphere, with tens of thousands of spectators lending their voices to carry runners through all 26.2 miles. Homemade signs, fancy dress and constant cheers turned every stretch into a celebration of endurance, community and purpose.  

Just past the 20-mile point, on Poplar High Street, was the official Community Sports Foundation cheer point. Widely regarded as one of the toughest points of the marathon, where legs feel heavy, our team from the Foundation stood poised in a sea of yellow and green banners, foam fingers and their loudest voices to cheer on our amazing runners.   

Thank you to all our incredible runners

One of the most inspirational stories of the day belonged to Willoughby, a participant at the Foundation and a popular member of our Cerebral Palsy Football team. His determination and positivity throughout the months of training, fundraising and on the day itself were a powerful reminder of why our mission matters, inspiring fellow runners and supporters alike.  

Also flying the flag for the Community Sports Foundation were three members of staff, each with their own powerful motivation for taking on the challenge. James, the Foundation’s Disability Sports Manager, ran with a personal understanding of the impact his fundraising would have, having seen first-hand how the Foundation’s work transforms lives across Norfolk. Alongside him was Chris, Lead Grounds Person at The Nest, whose marathon effort capped off an extraordinary month after also fundraising for, and completing, the London Landmarks Half Marathon earlier in April, a true testament to his commitment and resilience. Completing the staff trio was Mike, the Foundation’s newly appointed Operations Manager. His marathon achievement marks a remarkable first few weeks in post, quite the way to get known across the Foundation!  

International support came in the form of friends Sydney and Isabelle, who travelled all the way from the United States to run in support of the Foundation. The pair were keen to highlight why they’d chosen the Foundation as their charity partner:

“Having run the New York Marathon for Team Friendship, which provides programming for children with autism, we’ve experienced firsthand how powerful sports and community programs can be in transforming lives.  

 The Norwich City Community Sports Foundation’s mission to use sport to drive inclusion for people with disabilities truly resonated deeply with us. The Foundation’s work providing life-changing provisions for children and adults with disabilities across Norfolk aligns perfectly with our values of creating accessible opportunities for everyone.  

 As someone from the United States running the London Marathon, I’m excited to support a grassroots organisation making a tangible difference in local communities. The combination of sport as a vehicle for positive change and the focus on disability inclusion made it an easy decision to pick the Foundation as our charity partner for this challenge.” 

Local pride was on full display with our remaining runners. Brothers Luis and Josh delivered lightning-fast performances, blink and you missed them! Their seriously impressive times proved that the months of training paid off. 

Helen only came on board the marathon challenge in late February but in no way let her late entry hold her back. Through a packed calendar of fundraising events, including bake sales and quizzes, she absolutely smashed her fundraising target, showing that passion and creativity can make a huge difference.  

Lindsay and Josh were more committed Foundation runners displaying grit and determination on race day. Josh, who incorporated laps of Carrow Road into his training plan, was the epitome of grit as he completed the marathon with a stress fracture (not something we’d recommend, we’re still in awe!). 

Rounding off the group was Ash, from the Foundation’s Digital Partner, Coder Agency. Ash’s run comes ahead of the exciting Royale Invitational, a premium two-day experience that blends competitive golf, relaxed networking and a black-tie gala evening, which Coder Agency will be delivering in aid of the Foundation in June.   

Our twelve fantastic Foundation runners were all part of a world-record breaking event, as over £87.5 million pounds were raised in total for hundreds of different charities throughout the event – wow!

The Foundation would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to every runner who took on this extraordinary challenge, and a massive congratulations on an unforgettable achievement. We would also like to extend our thanks to Lucozade who provided our runners with personalised bottles and products to keep them hydrated on race day. 

If you haven’t yet donated, there’s still time. Fundraising pages remain open for another couple of weeks. Click here to show your support.  

And, if watching this year’s runner has inspired you, you can now register your interest to take on the TCS London Marathon 2027 in aid of the Foundation here.