In 2021, Macmillan Cancer Support broke its London Marathon personal best and recorded its biggest team yet! 1,230 amazing Team Macmillan runners crossed the Start Line – enough to fill the entrance hall to the Natural History Museum – together raising a massive £2.5 million for those living with cancer.

Macmillan’s Charity of the Year campaign, ‘Everyone. From Day One’, placed a spotlight on the cancer support helpline in a year that saw online services become even more vital due to the pandemic. In 2020, the Macmillan support line was open seven days a week, 365 days of the year, and we answered 221,000 calls, emails and web chats.

Team Macmillan had some fantastic runners with inspiring stories, all of whom went above and beyond. Some of the runners had taken on London as their very first marathon, whereas others used the event to top-off superhuman challenges. Gary McKee took on 110 marathons in 110 days, while William Goodge ran 48 marathons in 30 days in the lead up to the event on 3 October 2021.

A huge challenge was taken on by Macmillan’s Virtual London Marathon Team of 425 runners, who each ran a marathon in their hometowns across the UK and raised an amazing £136,000. Thank you to everyone who supported Macmillan as Charity of the Year in 2021 and helped make it such a huge success.

Reflecting on the day, Macmillan’s eight cheer points painted the course green, along with the iconic Big Green Macmillan bus and 169 brilliant volunteers who cheered every runner that passed. The post-race reception welcomed Macmillan runners and their loved ones with cheerleaders and some well-deserved food and drink. There was even a massage waiting for those with very sore legs!

Looking ahead to October 2022, Macmillan is aiming to smash its fundraising target of £2.3 million to support those living with cancer. Right now, there are more than 3 million people living with cancer in the UK, and that number keeps growing. Macmillan is doing whatever it takes to support them, whether in person, on the phone or online. Macmillan volunteers are supporting people throughout their treatment, and Macmillan health professionals are working tirelessly across the UK. Everyone in Team Macmillan will be racing for a reason and will do whatever it takes to ensure people with cancer get the support they need to live fully.

Be amazing and join Team Macmillan today to run or volunteer at the 2022 TCS London Marathon – to get going, click here.