Kind-hearted runners taking on London Marathon for Mary’s Meals

Three kind-hearted Mary’s Meals supporters are taking on the London Marathon to raise funds to help feed hungry children in some of the world's poorest countries.  

Alison Staples

Alison Staples, 41, from Shrewsbury, Graeme Quinn, 36, from Kilmarnock and Tom Wilkinson, 26, a teacher from Worth School in West Sussex, will run the gruelling 26.2-mile route across the capital on 27 April while fundraising for Mary’s Meals.  

Alison, who has previously run the Leeds, Chester and Manchester marathons, says: “I chose to raise money for Mary’s Meals as I think it’s simply a wonderful charity. I like how the charity works with the local communities, brings hope to children’s lives and encourages them to have an education.

“The London Marathon has been on my bucket list for years. People keep asking if I’m aiming for a personal best with this marathon but I’m just so excited to be taking part that I don’t care what time I complete it in, I just want to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy every second of it!”  

Graeme Quinn

Graeme is a marathon veteran and has even run three ultra-marathons in the past, though this is his first time running the London Marathon.  

Graeme says: “My main target was to get a qualifying time for London, which I did at Blackpool in 2024 where I finished 6th in a time of 2 hours and 47 minutes. I’ve never raised for charity before but given this is a personal achievement and the biggest marathon in the world, I think this is a good time to start!” 

As well as the children that Mary’s Meals feeds, there’s one other child who Graeme hopes to inspire – his daughter, four-year-old Jodie.  

“I took up running to be a better example to Jodie, and I have continued to get more and more involved with running communities since she was born. I hope she’s just a tiny bit proud of me which will make it all worthwhile!”  

Tom Wilkinson

For Tom, Head of Performance at Worth School, running has a special meaning. 

He says: “My life and career has been surrounded by sport but the deeper reason I started running was down to the mental health side of things. In the COVID period when I was at university, I went from being a high-performance athlete, getting scholarships and being a semi-professional footballer to nothing and I needed to find a new way to deal with my emotions, so I started running.  

“Being able to raise awareness for mental health as well as being able to raise money for Mary’s Meals is powerful. Being on a run makes you feel how lucky you are.”  

Want to take part in the London Marathon 2026?

The London Marathon is an amazing bucket list experience and in 2026 Mary's Meals is excited to have guaranteed charity places in the race.  

To join the Mary's Meals team and help to feed more hungry children, get in touch for more information and register your interest by contacting info@marysmeals.org.