Sunday the 26th April was an incredible day for schoolteacher Harry Foster as he took on the London Marathon!

The journey to this day has been a long one, 16 weeks of training, commitment come rain or shine, running no matter what, in memory of his daughter Olivia. Harry took on this challenge to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital who supported him and his wife and gave them answers after the sudden passing away of Olivia when she was 15 months old. Charity work has been key to Harry and wife Rebecca, wanting to help others who find themselves in the same situation and therefore taking on the marathon felt like the next step for Harry to raise vital funds for GOSH.

When talking to Harry as he reflects on the day, he said:

“It was emotional from start to finish and made me feel a sense of achievement like I never had before.  The London Marathon was such a tough challenge, going into it with a slight injury wasn’t what I had planned but 16 weeks of hard training paid off. 

The course itself was amazing, and I loved spotting some of the most famous landmarks along the route. The reason for doing this is what got me though, especially when it got very warm and my legs were struggling to run. The crowd support was absolutely overwhelming and something that I’ve never experienced before.

I love running in Olivia’s memory - I feel like it is my way of still being her dad, keeping her legacy alive and sharing her story. 

I am so pleased that, to date, this challenge has raised just over £17,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, a charity which is extremely close to our heart.

Throughout the whole run I had a photo of Olivia tucked into my sock which I pulled out on the final stretch down the Mall and reminded myself, and the millions watching, why I was running the marathon and I carried Olivia across the line with me in 3 hours 56 minutes.”

Everyone at St John’s Primary School is incredibly proud of Mr Foster. Many of them watched Mr Foster on Sunday, cheering from their homes as they watched him cross the finishing line! Mr Foster had a much-needed break on Monday but returned to school on Tuesday with his medal which he proudly shared with the school and received high praise, gifts and admiration throughout the day!

Congratulations to everyone taking part on the day, especially to our incredible Mr Foster, and a special thank you to everyone who supported him and Great Ormond Street Hospital.