Training is well underway for Lucy Abbey, 37, from Hartlepool in Teesside, who is preparing to run the 2025 TCS London Marathon this April on behalf of our charity.

Lucy, who works at Northern Powergrid, is no stranger to running, having previously participated in the London Landmarks Half Marathon and the Great North Run three times. However, this year’s challenge will be the furthest Lucy has run, clocking up a total of 26.2miles across the city of London.

She said: “I wouldn’t say I’m an enthusiastic runner, but I’ve always wanted to take part in the London Marathon. I wanted to do it for a meaningful cause, so when I was looking at charities to run on behalf of, I saw LMRUK was offering one charity place, and I had to apply. I was thrilled to find out I’d been successful!”

Lucy has chosen to run on behalf of our charity in support of her close friend and colleague, Julie, who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in early 2024. Since her diagnosis, Julie has undergone a stem cell transplant, and had some of her stem cells frozen in case another transplant is needed in the future. She is now on her final rounds of treatment and will then be placed on medication to help keep her stable.

“I was very sad to hear the news about Julie’s diagnosis and I instantly knew I had to do something to help. We’ve worked together for seven years, and she is hugely missed in the office – she’s a lovely, friendly person who is bursting with warmth and kindness. When I told Julie I’d be running the London Marathon in support of her, she was overjoyed!”, said Lucy.

With four months to go until the big event, Lucy is following the official London Marathon’s training plan, with lots of encouragement from her husband Ste, and two daughters, Olive (8) and Poppy (4).

Lucy comes from a family of runners and has been receiving lots of valuable training tips and advice from her brother and mum. Her brother Christopher (39) has completed over 500 Parkrun events, and together with their mum, Julie (65), have run multiple marathons across the country, including the London Marathon.

Lucy will be running with her friend Beccy Horwood, who secured a ballot place. The women met at their children’s school, with both of their children being in the same class year.

“My two daughters and Beccy’s two sons are the same age, and both attend the same classes, so we very quickly bonded at the school gates. Since then, we’ve discovered a fondness for running so regularly train together when our children are in bed”, explained Lucy. The pair have previously run the Great North Run together and are now busy training together ahead of the London Marathon.

Lucy added: “This is going to be an epic challenge for us both, so it’s great knowing we can do it together and spur each other on to the finish line.”

The 2025 TCS London Marathon takes place on Sunday 27th April 2025, starting at Greenwich Park, passing iconic landmarks including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, and Big Ben, finishing on the Mall at Buckingham Palace.

Each year, approximately 5,700 people in the UK are diagnosed with Myeloma. Lucy is hoping to raise awareness of this form of blood cancer as well as funds to support our work investing in new research.

Our Operations Director, Dr Joanna Tilley said: “The London Marathon is one of the biggest sporting challenges in the calendar, so Lucy should feel incredibly proud taking on a challenge of this magnitude. We can’t wait to hear how Lucy gets on – we’ll be cheering her on every step of the way.

“This year, we’re celebrating LMRUK’s 10th anniversary, so to have someone running the London Marathon on our behalf is a great way to mark this fantastic milestone. The work we do investing in specialist research into different treatments for blood cancers, particularly through the use of stem cells, wouldn’t be possible without the incredible fundraising and generosity of people like Lucy.”

To support Lucy, visit her fundraising page here.

Keep an eye on our social channels for updates on how Lucy’s training is going.