AJ & Curtis kick off a year of fundraising as Marie Curie revealed as 2026 TCS London Marathon Charity of the Year
Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end of life charity, is the official Charity of the Year for the 2026 TCS London Marathon.
Professional dancers and TV personalities AJ and Curtis Pritchard were spotted jogging and stretching with Marie Curie colleagues at the London Marathon Community Track in Stratford today, as they kicked off their training for the big event.
Marie Curie’s team included Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sarah Holmes, Director of Strategy, Impact and Innovation, Samantha Cheverton, and Senior Project Manager, Eimear McCooey.
They were also joined by Hackney-based run club and youth charity, The Outrunners, as they undertook their training.
Jenna Norris, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Marie Curie, and supporters of the charity cheered them on from the sidelines, holding placards stating the charity’s message for the 2026 event: ‘With you to the end’.
Marie Curie is aiming to recruit nearly 1,300 participants for the 2026 TCS London Marathon, with the ambition to raise £2 million to fund care, comfort and dignity for those at the end of life, and their loved ones.
More than 600,000 people die in the UK every year, with one in four people not getting the end of life care and support they need. Those from disadvantaged or marginalised communities miss out the most. The situation is only going to get worse; by 2048, the need for end of life care will have increased by 25%.
Marie Curie’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sarah Holmes, said: “We’re incredibly proud and very excited to be the 2026 TCS London Marathon Charity of the Year. The funds and awareness raised from the partnership will help us spotlight Marie Curie’s expertise in end of life care and shine a light on the profound impact that specialist care and support can have on those facing any terminal illness.
“As a doctor, I see firsthand the difference that the right kind of end of life care can make on someone in their final days, weeks and months – and the lasting effect it has on family and friends left behind.
“Our nurses, doctors and support teams provide vital care and support 365 days a year – whether that be in people’s homes or in a hospice – by protecting people’s dignity and ensuring those final moments are pain-free and as peaceful as possible.
“We’ve had a ball training with supporters this morning. We hope many more people will feel inspired to join the Marie Curie Team at the Start Line this time next year!”
Marie Curie provides care and support to people with any diseases they are likely to die from including Alzheimer’s (and other forms of dementia), heart, liver, kidney and lung disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, and advanced cancer.
AJ and Curtis Pritchard said: “We’re thrilled that Marie Curie will be the Charity of the Year for the 2026 TCS London Marathon and hope that it will drive lots of donations to such an important cause. We lost our amazing Nana during Covid, and we know how incredibly vital organisations like Marie Curie can be in your hour of need. We’re urging everyone who can to donate and support those taking part next year for such a great cause.”
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, organisers of the TCS London Marathon, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Marie Curie as our official Charity of the Year for the 2026 TCS London Marathon. We hope that this opportunity means Marie Curie can raise the funds and awareness needed to support more people facing a terminal illness with the end of life care they need. We wish the team at Marie Curie all the very best in their efforts and look forward to working with them in the year ahead.”
Marie Curie’s training took place at the London Marathon Community Track. It was built in 2017 as the warm-up track for the 2017 IAAF World Athletics and IPC World Para Athletics Championships thanks to the donation of £3.45 million by London Marathon Foundation.
Next year’s TCS London Marathon will be held on Sunday 26 April 2026.
The charity is encouraging people to apply in the public ballot and apply for a charity place to help Marie Curie bring expert end of life care to more people. For more information on how to join Team Marie Curie visit their site.