Daniel Chapman ran the London Marathon in 2016 for Leukaemia Care and will take on the challenge again for the charity in 2023. Here is his story…

"I ran the 2016 London Marathon for three main reasons. The first was to show myself that I could do arduous things even with my diagnosis. I personally see the marathon as a big challenge, as I am not a massive fan of running – but I liked the idea of overcoming this massive challenge. The second was to raise money for Leukaemia Care to say thank you for the support I received early in my diagnosis and which I continue to receive now. The third was that it was a personal bucket list challenge and my diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) kicked me into doing or trying things I wanted to.

"I wanted to run the London Marathon again because I wanted to raise money for charity and challenge myself once more. I know that the experience and whole process of the London Marathon is amazing, but at times challenging and very tough – not only physically but also mentally. I wanted to experience this again. I also wanted to share this whole journey with my partner Emily, who will run alongside me. We aim to train, fundraise and run the marathon together. This will be her first-ever marathon and I cannot wait to do this with her by my side.

"As I have a personal connection with Leukaemia Care, it was a no brainer that I would do it on behalf of the charity again. The support I’ve received during training and fundraising is brilliant – the team is always there to answer any questions and offer advice. I also get aids to help with my fundraising, like collection tins, banners and T-shirts for events. During the marathon, the cheer squads keep you going and at the end the Leukaemia Care team offers us a place to relax and recover. It’s also a nice place to meet other runners and members of the team.

"To those who are unsure about running a marathon, go for it. The marathon is a massive achievement for anyone, from professional runners to complete novices. The feeling you get when you complete the marathon is amazing and quite difficult to describe. I won’t lie – the training is very hard and sometimes, during the longer runs, you may feel like stopping or have thoughts of quitting. But trust me, stick with it and you will enjoy every moment of Marathon Day from start to finish."

To join Daniel and run the TCS London Marathon for Leukaemia Care this year, click here.