Having clocked up hundreds of miles during her training runs, on Sunday 21st April, Havens Hospices Medical Director, Dr Rachael Marchant, will be running the iconic London Marathon to support the charity where she works.

Rachael, a local GP with passion and expertise in hospice care, initially spent four months as a trainee at the original Fair Havens in Westcliff-on-Sea. She then returned to Fair Havens at the start of 2020, later taking on the Medical Director post and completing a Masters in Palliative Medicine for Healthcare Professionals.

As Medical Director, Rachael is responsible for ensuring the medical teams provide the exceptional level of care the charity strives for, continually developing and improving specialist care and support services for people of all ages living with incurable conditions.

Explaining why she is taking on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge for a charity she loves,  she said, “I signed up after a chance conversation with someone in our Fundraising Team. It is a bucket list item for me and something I am keen to do once, and only once. I had put my name into the ballot for many years and then breathed a sigh of relief when I didn’t get a place, so the opportunity to run for Havens Hospices was the perfect reason to do it.”

As a busy mum of two, who also works as a GP alongside her role as Medical Director at Havens Hospices, Rachael has had to work hard to complete her training, “I am 100% not a runner- never have been and never will be! I am very slow, and this means the long runs take a really, really long time. So, training is exhausting and very long, but that said, it’s going well. I’m up to 16 very long, slow miles on my longest run so far, with only a couple more long ones to go before the marathon! But considering I couldn’t run a mile when I started, it’s good progress. My life can be quite busy, so lots of my runs start very early in the morning, but this often means I get to see sunrise somewhere along my route!”

Rachael has her eyes set on the start line in April, and as training becomes more intense, she is inspired by the people she has met at Havens Hospices. She continued, “Havens Hospices is a very special place to work. I am incredibly proud to be part of the team providing care to local people when they need us most. I feel very privileged to work alongside such incredible people who really care about making the charity and our services the best they can be both now and for the future.”

“Knowing that I’m running for a cause close to my heart keeps me motivated to push through the tough times. I hope that by running the marathon for Havens Hospices, I can inspire others to support this amazing cause. Every little bit helps, and together, we can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.”

To sponsor Rachael’s incredible fundraising challenge visit www.justgiving.com/page/rachael-marchant-1682187075243

To express your interest in running the London Marathon for Havens Hospices, contact Smay@HavensHospices.org.uk

Published 14th March 2024