TCS London Marathon 2023

Congratulations to the 102 runners who took part in the London Marathon on Sunday 23rd April

Sunday 23rd April 2023 marked the London Marathon’s return to its usual spot in the annual calendar of events, having been postponed and moved to October for the last few years due to the pandemic; and #TeamCRY were ready to take on the iconic 26.2 miles through London. We were delighted to have had 102 runners take part on behalf of CRY, raising both vital funds and awareness.

The efforts our runners go to is always inspiring and the sacrifice #TeamCRY make to try and complete the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon is a great motivator to CRY staff and supporters alike. Some runners were taking the marathon on for a second or third time for CRY, others stepped in to fill places with only a month of training, and one runner even decided that 26.2 miles was just one part of their challenge and also cycled 810 miles from John O’Groats to London the week of the Marathon!

CRY also saw a welcome return of one of our previous Research Fellows, Dr Abbas Zaidi. He had swapped his stethoscope for running shoes this time to complete the marathon in 3 hours and 15 minutes! Dr Zaidi was a CRY Research Fellow from 20102013, during this time he helped screen over five thousand young people for cardiconditions and continues to support CRY to this day, with his expertise in cardiology and now his running shoes.

CRY volunteers and staff were based out on the route at miles 12 and 23 to spur on our charity heroes. The weather on the day was wet for the most part but this did not dampen the spirits of our cheerers and runners.

Runners were greeted by CRY staff and volunteers near the finish area, before being guided back to the Institute for Government where CRY were based to offer massages, showers and refreshments.

Upon runners arriving at the post-race venue, they were welcomed with applause and cheers, offered a CRY medal, photographed by CRY staff, and supplied with plenty of refreshments. This was followed by a massage from a therapist with the aim of easing some of the discomfort they might be experiencing, and then a warm well-deserved shower.

This was the first year that CRY had been based at the Institute for Government and we have received plenty of good feedback from runners, supporters and volunteers about the venue. We were so pleased to welcome 56 of our runners, along with their families and friends, back to see us after they had finished. It was a pleasure for CRY staff to meet everyone in person and thank them for their incredible efforts and dedication to the charity.

Thank you so much to the runners and supporters who were able to come and meet us.

As you can imagine there was a wide variety of emotions on the day, especially so for those who were sadly taking part in memory of someone they have lost. We hope that the experience was a positive one for those involved. Finally, we would like to thank the CRY runners for their fantastic efforts and valued support. We really appreciate you taking part on behalf of CRY. Congratulations and thank you to you all!