On the 2nd April, fifty seven members of Team Harvey donned their running gear and laced up their trainers ready to stand excitedly at the start line of the London Landmarks Half Marathon. Months of training had led to this moment, and every single one of the team were raring to go.

A lot of effort had gone into the preparation, many of the team running the Yatton to Cheddar 10 mile Strawberry Line and most of the times the weather had smiled on us. When we did find it tough, the thought of the warming breakfast with our names on it at Café Gorge always made it worth the effort!

Anticipation grew as the crowds came out in force to support the runners. Although some of the team were to run their personal best time, while others just wanted to complete the 13.1 miles, we were all there as Team Harvey, wanting to make it a great day for the Charity.

Chris Canning, who completed the run on his 45th birthday, smashed through his personal best time in a super-fast 1hr:35:44. Others, new to Half Marathons, were happy to run at their own pace, sometimes alongside the celebrities that joined in.

There was a magical moment when ITV’s Dermot O’Leary, who spotted Spencer, Harvey’s twin brother, holding his hand out as he passed the Cheer Station at mile 12, backtracked to give him a great big high five! It’s little moments like this that make the London Landmarks such an extra special run!

It gave such a huge boost to the runners to see their families and friends waiting there to rally them on, giving them an extra boost with their wild cheering and clamorous applause.

Christopher Bridges from Team Harvey said: “I have never run a half marathon before, but the training and build up with the team before the event was supportive and friendly. On the day it was magic, the atmosphere was amazing. Seeing all the supporters cheering us on kept me going to cross the finish line.”

The run itself was just a part of the incredible achievement of Team Harvey. Between them the 57 runners raised a jaw dropping £35,000 for The Harvey Hext Trust.

Sarah Hext, CEO of the charity, said, “I am so grateful to everyone who made up Team Harvey this year, the amount raised is just incredible and it will enable us to support so many bereaved children with this money, the long-term impact that this will have is immeasurable. The total raised completely surpassed all fundraising expectations and has enabled us to consider employing a much-needed fundraiser of our own. We became a really great team with new friendships formed and many of the team signing up for next year’s run already. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported this fantastic event in any way. I can’t wait to get started on next year’s London Landmarks event!”

The charity, founded by Sarah Hext in 2016, when her son Harvey passed away from Neuroblastoma Cancer at 9-years-old, support bereaved children and their families when they need it most, and work with many bereavement professionals across the country, supplying Bespoke Memory boxes, days out, funeral grants, and bereavement resources for schools, hospitals and hospices.

If you would like to become part of Team Harvey in the London Landmarks 2024, Limited places are available on the trust’s website: https://harveyhexttrust.com/event/london-landmarks-half-marathon/