It has been an extraordinary month of running, with supporters of Team Aorta taking part in major events including the London Landmarks Half Marathon, Brighton Marathon, Boston Marathon, Manchester Marathon and the London Marathon. Each runner took on their challenge for reasons that were deeply personal, shaped by loss and lived experience. Together, they are helping bring vital awareness of aortic dissection to some of the largest public stages.
As a charity focused on creating meaningful action, the funds raised are already being directed into active projects. This includes patient support services, the development of our aortic nurse programme and ongoing research funding. Every step taken by our runners is helping to create lasting impact.
Running for Team Aorta
Each event this month has been marked by powerful individual stories. Runners have taken part in memory of loved ones, in support of family members living with aortic dissection, and to ensure greater awareness of a condition that is still too often overlooked.
At the London Landmarks Half Marathon, Hannah ran for her father following his dissection in 2024, with a known family history of the condition. Poppy and Sarah ran in memory of Poppy’s father, who died during transfer for surgery after a Type A aortic dissection. Paul and his daughter Leyla ran together in memory of Paul’s wife and Leyla’s mother, who died suddenly from an aortic root dissection.
Moments from the Marathons
At the Brighton Marathon, Nicola ran in memory of her father who passed away in 2022 following emergency surgery for a sudden dissection, while Glen ran in memory of his brother.
The Manchester Marathon saw Holly, Eve and Adam complete their first marathon in memory of Holly’s partner, who died in 2021 from a type A dissection. Holly had previously supported the charity through four half marathons, and this marked a significant personal milestone. Dale and Adam also took on the challenge in memory of their uncle David, who was misdiagnosed and lost his life. Although Dale was unable to run due to injury, Adam completed the marathon solo and achieved a strong finish.
London Marathon Highlights
At the London Marathon, Ruth ran dressed as an aorta, creating both awareness and conversation throughout the race. At the finish, she met a vascular surgeon who immediately recognised her costume, and they shared a memorable moment together. Ruth ran in memory of a close friend who died from an aortic dissection, completing the Boston Marathon just a week before.
Jan ran his first marathon at the age of 75 in memory of his wife, after finally securing a ballot place following 15 years of attempts, just days after her passing. April, a regular participant, used her place to run in memory of Aiden, a close family friend who died at just 25 due to an undiagnosed genetic condition. Finn ran in memory of his friend Ollie’s father, who died suddenly from an aortic dissection. Ollie himself also ran the London Landmarks Half Marathon in memory of his dad, marking his 11th of 12 half marathons completed over the course of a year.
Anita completed her first London Marathon and has been actively raising awareness within her community and at parkrun events. Reflecting on her experience, she shared:
“A lady told me she had lost her brother because of aortic dissection. She said it is not something often heard about and was pleased to see someone raising awareness. It brought home to me how important research is to help us understand aortic dissection and how it may be prevented in future.”
The Impact of Your Support
Across all these events, more than £35,000 has been raised in just one month. Alongside this, additional fundraising has taken place through music events, bake sales, walking challenges and more. This support is helping to fund patient services, our aortic nurse programme and vital research.
We are deeply grateful to every runner, supporter, friend and family member who has taken part, supported from the sidelines, or helped spread awareness along the way.
If you would like to support our work or take part in future events, we would be very pleased to hear from you about how you would like to get involved.
