Meet the heroes running this year’s Royal Parks Half Marathon

On October 13 over 16,000 people will run the Royal Parks Half Marathon in central London.

The 13.1 mile route is the only half marathon to take in four of the Royal parks, and some of the capital’s world famous landmarks. 

Starting and finishing in Hyde Park, runners will go past Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Green Park and Kensington Palace, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live. 

Many are running for charity, and nearly £43 million has been raised since the marathon began 11 years ago.    

Here we talk to four inspirational runners whose own life experiences have led them to take part this year. 

The woman who beat cancer  

Katherine Baker was due to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon last year, but was forced to pull out of the race when she was diagnosed with cancer. 

The 48-year-old had already dealt with her mother Thelma having the disease, for which she thankfully received the all-clear from in 2015. But a year ago, Katherine received her own diagnosis. Doctors had found a mass in her abdomen. 

‘I remember saying to my husband, please don’t be stage 4. If I lived beyond five years, I would be considered to have been treated successfully. 

‘Telling my mum was difficult as she knew what was ahead. However, telling my 21-year-old son was one of the lowest points of my life. I felt like I was letting him down.’

Katherine was supposed to run the half marathon in 2018, but was diagnosed just before the race. Now she is running again after being given the all-clear

Katherine, from Sittingbourne in Kent, underwent three rounds of chemotherapy before having radical abdominal surgery, including a full hysterectomy – but the surgery was successful and she was declared cancer free in April this year. 

Her advice to others is to make yourself aware of ovarian cancer symptoms because they are often overlooked. 

‘Early detection saves lives so it’s important to know the symptoms, including persistent bloating, feeling full quickly or loss of appetite, pelvic or abdominal pain and urinary symptoms. It’s vital to listen to your body and go to your GP if you have any concerns.’ 

She is running the half marathon to raise money for The Royal Marsden Hospital, where her and her mother were treated. Donate to her Just Giving page here. 

The first-timer marathon runner hoping to help her sister  

Royal Parks is Cydney Adams’ first ever marathon, which she is running for her sister Emily. 

Emily was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare neurological condition which affects a person’s coordination, balance and speech, in 2008. 

Her condition will progressively worsen over time and at present there is no known cure. It is so rare, the condition can only be treated at three hospitals in the UK, including the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where she was diagnosed. 

Despite numerous hurdles, Cydney says her sister is the ‘strongest person she’s met.’ Emily has recently been on holiday on a group trip she organised herself without the help of carers and is currently learning to drive in an adapted car.  

Cydney (right at her graduation) with her sister Emily, who she describes as the ‘strongest person I’ve met’

Now Cydney wants to raise awareness of the illness and how hard it is for people who use wheelchairs, like Emily, to go about their daily life. 

‘As the condition is particularly rare, it took a long time to get a diagnosis. I think the more awareness we can draw to it, the more people who are facing similar circumstances can be helped and given a diagnosis more quickly.’

Cydney wants to raise £500 for Ataxia UK, a charity which has supported her sister and their family. Help by making a donation here.         

The man who lost eight stone in two years 

Chris Brudenell used to weigh 24 stone, but has shed an incredible eight stone in just two years. 

It was on his 39th birthday that Chris decided he needed to make a change. ‘I didn’t want to enter my 40s being so unhappy with my size. I got to the point in my life where I was eating to try and make myself feel happy, but it just didn’t work.’

Chris said he would often ‘secret eat’ when his kids went to school, as he was a full-time dad at the time. ‘When they both went to school, I didn’t feel like I had much purpose. I’d stop and buy a pack of biscuits and eat them all before they came home.’ 

But the turning point came when doctors told him he could have a stroke if he didn’t lose some weight. 

 Chris Brudenell has lost an incredible eight stone in less than two years – and says he has more energy than ever

Chris, now 41, has since kicked his sugar addiction and joined MAN v FAT, a football league for men who want to lose weight. 

‘I did couch to 5km just eight weeks after joining the league and just carried on setting targets for myself. It’s become about more than just running, it’s about how far I can push myself as I spent 39 years sitting on my bum!’

And now Chris, a photographer from Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, can’t stop being active. 

He’s abseiled down Peterborough cathedral and done a tandem dive from 17,000ft. His next milestone is reaching his 15 stone goal weight. ‘Having spent my whole life being told ‘no, you can’t’, suddenly I can.’

On October 13, Chris will run the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise money for Stillbirth and neonatal death charity SANDS. You can donate to Chris’ cause here. 

Running in memory of two lost brothers  

David Manson is running this year’s marathon after tragically losing two of his brothers to bowel cancer. 

His first brother Robert passed away five months after being diagnosed with the disease in 2004 at the age of 50. 

While his other brother James, who was preparing for his retirement, received the same diagnosis in 2010. After fighting 60 doses of chemotherapy, James sadly lost his battle in 2015. 

David with his older brothers James and Robert, who both died of bowel cancer within five years of each other

Losing his older brothers spurred David on to look after his own health, and in the past 14 months he has managed to lose over nine stone with the help of Slimming World. 

‘When I spiralled into a low ebb, I would increase my calorie intake with huge amounts with secret eating, gorging even. The weight gain only added to my self-loathing and cycle of depression and anxiety. 

‘Now I haven’t touched a crisp in a year and have lowered my alcohol intake considerably.’ 

David is hoping raise £1,000 for Bowel Cancer UK by completing the marathon. Donate to his Virgin Money Giving page here. 

You can find out more about the Royal Parks Half Marathon and how to take part here.