Running for Lydia: 30 Years, One Beautiful Full Circle
Sometimes life has a way of joining the dots in the most unexpected, meaningful ways.
London Marathon 2025
When my younger sister Millie got her place in the London Marathon 2025, we were all so excited! But it wasn’t just about ticking off a bucket list challenge - it was about something, and someone, much deeper. Mill chose to run in memory of our sister Lydia, who passed away 30 years ago at just 3 and a half due to an undiagnosed heart condition. It’s a loss that’s always quietly been with us - but this time, we got to honour her in the most powerful, positive way.
2025 also happens to mark 30 years since our Dad ran the same marathon, 30 years since the amazing charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) was founded, and Millie’s own 30th birthday.
You couldn’t plan it if you tried - it just all fell into place.
CRY’s mission to prevent young sudden cardiac fatalities means a lot to our family. They fund screenings, support bereaved families, and help raise awareness to stop these hidden conditions from going unnoticed.
Watching Mill take on the marathon was incredible - and emotional. It was her first ever marathon, on an extremely hot day, and it was hard. Really hard. But she ran with love, determination, and that joyful stubbornness she’s always had - turning something heartbreaking into something hopeful. The atmosphere was beyond anything I had expected and seeing her cross that finish line is a memory we will never forget.
It was almost as if her Ballot Place was a written in the stars.
Here’s to Lydia - always in our hearts. And to Millie, who ran for her with a smile, a purpose, and probably a few blisters.
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Thank you to everyone who supported her, and to CRY for everything they do.
“And then came a moment I’d been dreaming about since my early teens - experiencing the London Marathon in person for the very first time. From the buzz in the air to the emotion on every runner’s face, it was everything I’d imagined and more. I couldn’t just let it pass by unnoticed - I wanted to document the whole thing. Every cheer, every mile, every wave of energy from the crowd… I wanted to bottle it all up and remember it forever.”
Below is a small collections of my favourite photos I’ve taken whilst waiting for Mills and whilst chasing her around the course.
