Ed, aged 24, is the son of one of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice’s Medical Directors, Dr Su Laurent and his story to becoming a marathon runner starts in 2023 when he broke his arm and developed a bacterial infection in the break. He says:
‘I’ve now had four surgeries on my arm with a fifth one pending. It meant that I couldn’t do a lot of the sport that I used to as a lot of it revolved around upper body strength, so I started running, and after a while I started to really enjoy it and wanted to set myself a goal and what better goal than the London Marathon!’
Ed’s family involvement means that he was aware of us, but we asked him what made him want to fundraise for us, Ed replied:
‘I think that spending a lot of time in hospital made me think about my values and goals. One of the things I started during that time was a journal. I wasn’t in a great place and journalling helped me reconnect with my life, as it was now. It was also around this time my mum invited me to The Winter Ball, an event organised in aid of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. I went along and had a fantastic time and learned a lot about the charity and got a really good insight into all the fantastic work that goes on there.’
Two things had come into Ed’s life that could work perfectly together; a charity that needed him and a love of running. He says:
‘I found out that Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice had London Marathon places and that they had just opened up, so I thought the stars are absolutely aligning here. I submitted my application and heard back from Tony that that he would be delighted to have me!’
Ed’s relationship with running has changed since his injury, he admits that running was necessary for general fitness and also for practical advantage in field hockey and tennis but now he actively enjoys it for its own sake. He says:
‘I’d always seen it as a means to an end. I never really enjoyed it, I will admit that, but now I get a big runner’s high around the 10k mark which gives me a flurry of endorphins and I have this massive smile on my face.’
Ed also thinks that London plays a bit part in his motivation:
‘Anyone training for or running the marathon is in a really privileged position because London is such a runner’s city. I run a lot with friends and sometimes even though you’re both absolutely exhausted and you can’t say a word to each other, you’re there, side by side, running through an absolutely stunning city.’
Anyone who has run a marathon knows that pacing your training and motivation are key. Ed says;
‘I’ve hit my first really big challenge this week as I ran 34K, which is the closest run I’ve done to the actual race, which is 42K which has damaged my Achilles tendon. I’ve seen a physio and he said it’s totally standard to get this type of injury at this stage in my training and that I shouldn’t let it hold me back. I’m currently putting my right foot up on a lot of surfaces and whacking some ice on it. I’ve got a series of exercises to do and I’ll be back to running again very soon.’
Ed agrees that keeping motivated is vital. He says:
‘I’ll run with a friend so I feel like I can’t let them down. I also like to picture the marathon itself and visualise Team Noah running together, all connected by the charity and Tony.’
Tony Cucchiara is our Supporter Engagement Officer and is managing a team of seven London Marathon fundraisers, all running for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. Ed says;
‘I know Tony’s got my back and that he’s on my side. I feel very supported by Tony and the whole hospice.’
Ed has also taken supporter engagement and fundraising very seriously, creating and issuing a regular newsletter to supporters and donors. The newsletter keeps them up-to-date with everything from his training to his dance lessons. As this goes to print Ed has crossed the halfway mark to his target fundraising amount of £2,500.
Ed is really looking forward to race day, saying:
‘Despite it being my first marathon, I definitely don’t think it’s going being to be my last. If there was a running bug, I’ve caught it.’