Marathons always tend to bring up incredible stories, the London Marathon is no different.
This weekend’s marathon in the English capital will feature three remarkable, young people among the thousands striving to reach the finish line.
Will, Ella and Rosie Sand are all running their first ever marathon. They are doing so in honour of their mother, Sand, who passed away in March 2014 from ovarian cancer.
San Martin was a fitness enthusiast and, in the year before her terminal diagnosis, ran in Ireland, England Greece, Morocco and Sierra Leone.
Rosie told BBC, ‘When my mum was ill we joked and told her that “we’d all have to run a marathon now”.
‘We entered the ballot straight away and the training has been really good mentally. Losing our mum was the worst possible thing that could happen but running the marathon has been something positive for us to do together.’
On the siblings’ Just Giving page, Rosie says, ‘We want to contribute to Macmillan Cancer Support to help them continue their wonderful work in support of those suffering from cancer and their family and friends.
‘They fulfil a vital role in ensuring that when cancer strikes there will always be someone out there who knows how you feel, is able to help you feel that you are not alone and to provide advice and support at such a traumatic time.’
The siblings, who range in age from 20 to 24, had a target of £6,000 to raise but national coverage and positive tweets has seen their story go viral. They have smashed past the £6,000 and are nearing on £9,000, with additional donations flooding in.
