Farleigh Hospice is celebrating a record fundraising total, as its 2026 London Marathon runners raised £162,833 this year.

44 runners joined Team Farleigh to take on the capital’s iconic sporting challenge on Sunday 26 April. 34 of them had successfully applied for charity places through the hospice, while the other 10 had secured their places through the London Marathon ballot and chosen to fundraise for Farleigh.

Their fantastic fundraising total was revealed at a special celebration evening at the hospice on 26 June.

Debbie de Boltz, Head of Fundraising at Farleigh, said, “Thank you to all of our amazing Team Farleigh London Marathon runners who trained so hard and gave so much on the day to complete the 26.2-mile course. We are very grateful to you and your families, friends and colleagues for raising £162,833. This is an amazing achievement which will help Farleigh to continue to be there for the local people who rely on our hospice care.”

Farleigh Hospice provides compassionate care and support to adults living with life-limiting illnesses and their families across mid Essex, including Braintree, Burnham, Chelmsford, Halstead, Maldon and Witham. This takes place both in their homes and at the hospice’s specialist Inpatient Unit. The charity makes no charge for its much-needed services and relies on public fundraising and sponsorship.

Farleigh’s fundraising team is already looking ahead to the 2027 London Marathon, which will make history as a special one-off, two-day event. They have secured an additional 25 charity places for this world-famous race, giving even more supporters the chance to tick this challenge off their bucket list, while raising vital funds for Farleigh Hospice.

The charity provides plenty of encouragement every step of the way – from the start of training through to race day – along with a comprehensive package of support. This includes organised training runs, training tips and resources, an e-newsletter, fundraising support, a Farleigh running vest, a pre-race pasta party and a free coach to take runners into London for the marathon.

Adele Mortlock took part last year. She said, “If anyone is looking for a local charity to represent at the London Marathon, Farleigh Hospice is for you. The support throughout, from the fundraising team and the Team Farleigh running group, was just phenomenal – you feel like you’re part of a family!

“When you are training, you’re out there pounding the streets alone, so I found the wonderful group training runs very helpful. And on marathon day, Farleigh provides a coach to take the runners to the start, so there’s no stress at all.”

Farleigh’s charity places are in high demand and will be allocated quickly. Anyone interested in running the London Marathon for Team Farleigh is encouraged to contact the hospice as soon as possible. To find out more, please visit www.farleighhospice.org/marathon.