We Run Together

On Sunday 3 October, the Virgin Money London Marathon will return to its iconic central London course 889 days after it was last held there in April 2019. On the same day, more than 40,000 people around the world will take on the 26.2 miles on the course of their choice in the virtual event.

To celebrate this landmark day, the campaign of the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon is We Run Together reflecting the joy the event will bring to many thousands of people after 18 months of uncertainty living through the pandemic.

At the centre of the  We Run Together campaign is a powerful and beautiful short film, featuring the faces of 55 participants from this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon, with words written and narrated by spoken word artist and rapper John Bernard. View the film below.

Among those included are:

Londoner Eleanor (@chasingele) is running her first Virgin Money London Marathon for Neuroblastoma UK in memory of her brother Neil. Neil died aged 14, a year before Eleanor was born, and would have turned 45 this year.
Personal trainer Celia (@celiatrainer) has run more than 100 marathons and ran her first London Marathon in 1986. Since then, Celia has run several marathons around the world but says she always comes back to London – the best of them all!
The Virgin Money London Marathon’s resident running Rhino! Chris (@RhinoBoyChris) has run more than 900 miles as the Save the Rhino’s fancy-dress rhino and is the Guinness World Record title holder for ‘Fastest Marathon dressed as a three-dimensional animal’.
Mark is one of 40 London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT) 40th anniversary runners. He is a founding member of the Phoenix Canoe Club in London, which has benefited from more than £250,000 in grants from LMCT to redevelop its canoe centre.
Running enthusiast Rajesh (@rajsaysrun) completes a hat-trick of London Marathons having previously run in 2017 and 2019. Describing himself as a ‘Couch to Major’ runner, Rajesh is hoping to complete the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Stars in Tokyo next year.
Ruden (@rudenbhutia) founded the running crew Runderbolts with a mission to bring diversity and excitement to the running community. He will be running the Virgin Money London Marathon in memory of his father who died earlier this year.
Run Dem Crew member Ruth (@RuthMason1) is running this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon for the charity KIDS, which supports disabled children and young people. She ran last year’s first-ever virtual London Marathon.
Trojan (@thisistrojan) is a youth and community counsellor, and co-founder of running group Emancipated Run Crew (ERC). The ambition of ERC is to create a safe space for black people to take up running. He is supporting the charity Croydon Drop In.
Claire and Wayne (@wayne_flanagan) are running in memory of their daughter Jade, who died in January. They are raising money for three organisations that helped care for Jade: Demelza Hospice Care for Children, Evelina London Children’s Hospital and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity.
Linda (@lindamachax) is the Head of Midwifery at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT) and is running as part of the LGT running crew at this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, said: “Sunday 3 October will be an extraordinary day in our history and our We Run Together campaign captures perfectly how emotional and wonderful it will be.

“Back in 1981, my father Chris Brasher and John Disley created the London Marathon to show how the family of humankind can be united and ‘to have fun and provide some happiness and a sense of achievement in a troubled world.’ This year, that is more important than ever before.

“On Sunday 3 October, wherever people are running their marathon – whether it be on the streets of London, or anywhere else in the world as part of the virtual event – they will do it together. That is what makes the London Marathon so special. We are one family. We Run Together.”

The participants featured in the film will all be running on Sunday 3 October. Each has their own story to tell from the past 18 months and each has their own reason to run. All are part of the We Run Together campaign.

John Bernard is a spoken word artist and rapper who has been a finalist on BBC 1Xtra and BBC Asian Network’s Words First programme. He was born in London and now lives in Coventry. His work examines issues of social commentary, youth empowerment, faith and purpose.