MARIE Curie has been chosen as the official Charity of the Year for the 2026 TCS London Marathon.
Professional dancers and TV personalities AJ and Curtis Pritchard were spotted jogging and stretching with Marie Curie colleagues at the London Marathon Community Track in the capital, as they started their training for the big event.
Marie Curie’s team included chief medical officer Dr Sarah Holmes, director of strategy, impact and innovation Samantha Cheverton, and senior project manager Eimear McCooey.
They were also joined by Hackney-based run club and youth charity, The Outrunners, as they undertook their training.
Clinical nurse specialist Jenna Norris, together with Marie Curie supporters, joined from the sidelines to cheer them on, holding placards stating the charity’s message for the 2026 event – ‘With you to the end’.
Marie Curie, which has a hospice in Solihull, wants to recruit nearly 1,300 participants for the TCS London Marathon next year, with the ambition to raise £2million for care, comfort and dignity for those at the end of life, and their loved ones.
Dr Sarah Holmes, said: “We’re incredibly proud and very excited to be the 2026 TCS London Marathon Charity of the Year.
“The funds and awareness raised from the partnership will help us spotlight Marie Curie’s expertise in end of life care and shine a light on the profound impact that specialist care and support can have on those facing any terminal illness.
“As a doctor, I see firsthand the difference that the right kind of end of life care can make on someone in their final days, weeks and months – and the lasting effect it has on family and friends left behind.
“Our nurses, doctors and support teams provide vital care and support 365 days a year – whether that be in people’s homes or in a hospice – by protecting people’s dignity and ensuring those final moments are pain-free and as peaceful as possible.”
Marie Curie provides care and support to people with any illness they are likely to die from including Alzheimer’s (and other forms of dementia), heart, liver, kidney and lung disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, and advanced cancer.
AJ and Curtis Pritchard, said: “We’re thrilled that Marie Curie will be the Charity of the Year for the 2026 TCS London Marathon and hope that it will drive lots of donations to such an important cause.
“We lost our amazing Nana during Covid, and we know how incredibly vital organisations like Marie Curie can be in your hour of need. We’re urging everyone who can to donate and support those taking part next year for such a great cause.”
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, organisers of the TCS London Marathon, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Marie Curie as our official Charity of the Year for the 2026 TCS London Marathon.
“We hope that this opportunity means Marie Curie can raise the funds and awareness needed to support more people facing a terminal illness with the end of life care they need.
“We wish the team at Marie Curie all the very best in their efforts and look forward to working with them in the year ahead.”
Next year’s TCS London Marathon will be held on April 26.
