Best friends Erin and Lucy are taking on the London Marathon together this year in honour of Lucy’s dad, Ken, who is currently living with stage 4 lung cancer. As well as training, they’ve thrown themselves into fundraising, organising brilliant activities to raise awareness and support Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. From school assemblies and fun runs at their children’s schools to record-breakers-themed events, they’ve inspired whole communities to get involved.
“We met at our church playgroup when we were about three or four. We went through primary and secondary school together in Codsall, Wolverhampton, and we’ve stayed close friends ever since.
“The same primary school is now attended by our children — three each! — and the school has been so supportive of our fundraising journey. We’ve been side by side through everything: school days, working together as lifeguards from 16 to 18, Lucy visiting me while I was at university in Liverpool, long phone calls during her travelling gap year, and then getting married and starting families of our own.
“Our children, who range from five to fourteen, are now great friends too, which feels like everything coming full circle.”
Running together
Over the past 10 years, even while juggling work and family life, we have always found time to run together. We completed our first marathon in Paris in 2022 to celebrate turning 40. It felt like the perfect place to try our first race because one of our lifelong friends, Jen, now lives there and was able to cheer us on and host us for the weekend.
We made it through, injuries and training dramas included, and although we both said “never again”, we still applied for the 2024 London Marathon. Lucy was lucky enough to secure a ballot place, but I was not.
It was around this time that Lucy’s dad, Ken, was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had a persistent cough that was treated with antibiotics and steroids for several months, before finally being referred to our local hospital. In May 2023, he was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Next week, he will complete his eleventh cycle of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The treatment is having a positive effect, keeping the tumour contained, and Ken continues to stay upbeat, making the most of time with his family and grandchildren.
When the consultant shared the diagnosis, he used a visual aid produced by Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Seeing the information presented in that way really helped the family to understand what was happening at a difficult moment. It also prompted them to explore the charity’s website, where they found a wealth of clear and honest guidance. That information offered reassurance, support and a sense of being less alone, which the family remains deeply grateful for.
Training for this year’s London Marathon
“Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation supported our family. Because of that help, Lucy suggested that if I applied for a charity place, she would fundraise with me. When the charity told me I had been selected, I was over the moon. We then planned our fundraising and training.
“Last time we trained for a marathon, we enjoyed scenic routes through country lanes and tracks. This year the wet winter and spring have forced more road runs, pounding Wolverhampton pavements.
“We are both so excited for the London Marathon. We love watching it every year on TV. I have even been to London twice to support my brother when he ran, but running it ourselves feels like a privilege and a lifelong dream.
“The usual ‘maranoia’ is creeping in now, with a few niggles, but we can’t wait. We don’t have a strict target time, but we would love to beat our previous marathon runs. Finishing in around four hours would feel amazing.”
Fundraising for a great cause
“One of the main things that will push us on during the big day is thinking about everyone who has supported our fundraising. We had four main fundraising ideas. Our first was a Marathon in a Month. We launched it in January and asked friends and family to start the year strong by covering 26.2 miles, in any way they liked, across the month.”
“People paid a sum to join, we set up a Strava group and provided updates on our fundraising page. At the end of the month, we organised a group meet at our local park for all participants.
“A local printing company, Prontaprint, provided certificates and Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation provided medals, which we presented to all following a final lap around the 1-mile loop of the park. It was really well supported and we had a lovely afternoon. It was made all the more special as we were joined by Ken, who walked a lap with us.
“We’ve had amazing support from our primary school, St Christopher’s Catholic Primary Academy, Codsall. The school ran two events for us, including a non-uniform day where children donated to wear their own clothes.
“We owe a huge thank you to the staff. They spoke to the children about the fundraiser, and the deputy head, Mr Kevin Brown, sent a lovely letter explaining the importance of cancer research. He’s a cancer survivor himself, so the message meant a lot.
“A few weeks later, we attended an assembly to thank the children. We told them they had raised an incredible £226.90.
Taking on the run
“We loved taking part in the run with the children. We cheered them on as they raced their hearts out. Every child was incredible and earned the medals and stickers from Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. In total, the school raised an amazing £805.88. We cannot thank them enough for their support.
“Our final fundraiser was a family fun evening at our local Irish club, which we have strong links to. It doubled as the draw night for the raffle we had organised.
“Planning it took a lot of time and effort. Asking for donations was tough, but people were so generous and we received an unbelievable number of prizes.
“The evening was great fun, with teams taking on record-breaking challenges. One task involved building the tallest toilet roll tower in 30 seconds — the world record was 28. Another called for catching the most soft toys while blindfolded in a minute — that benchmark stood at 25. We also lined up ten brave volunteers to attempt eating three cream crackers in a minute, stopwatches poised, as the hall filled with cheers and laughter.”
“Many people said it was especially nice to enjoy a family evening of games, where children could compete alongside adults and everyone could join in the fun. We also ran a picture quiz and a colouring competition to keep everyone engaged and entertained throughout the evening. On top of that, my daughter made and sold loom band bracelets!”
“Our fundraising total currently stands at just over £5000 and we couldn’t be more thrilled!
“We are so grateful to have this opportunity to run the London Marathon, but it has been hard work, both training and fundraising. However, the fundraising has been a welcome distraction from the scary prospect of running 26.2 miles!
“It has most importantly reminded us of why we are doing this. If the money we have raised can be used to help families like Lucy’s, at a painful time when they are trying to understand and absorb life-changing news or help patients like Ken to come to terms with what lies ahead, then we will be happy and it will all have been worth it!”
You can donate to Erin and Lucy’s fundraiser here: https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/erin-stokes