As the last few of this year’s London Marathon runners complete the gruelling circuit, we take a look at how some of the participants from Kent have fared in the race…
The overall winner of this year’s race was Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, who finished with a lightening-fast time of 02:02:27.
But among a handful of Kent and Medway charity runners, the first to cross the line was Jamie Botten from Wainscott, who raised more than £6,500 for Against Breast Cancer.
An experienced runner who has completed more than 10 running events, Jamie today clocked an impressive 03:12:08 race time, placing 4,785th among the more than 56,000 participants.
The Medway man ran in honour of his sister Leonie, who died from an aggressive form of breast cancer.
He said: “This fundraising effort is a deeply personal journey for me.
“Not only am I aiming to raise funds for a vital cause, but I also want to raise awareness about the importance of early breast cancer detection and the impact this disease has on families, particularly young women.”
To donate to his JustGiving page click here
Lisa McCartney, from Rainham, was the next of our group to finish, clocking 26.2 miles in just under five hours.
She ran the big race to raise funds for Kent Association for the Blind and finished with a time of 04:54:49.
Lisa came across the charity through her work as a business development manager at Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre in Gillingham.
This marathon is the third she has completed and although she did not quite beat her personal best of four hours, 48 minutes, she smashed her fundraising target of £1,600, with more than £1,800 in donations for Kent Association for the Blind.
She said: “As an avid runner, I couldn’t think of a better way to contribute than by running the London Marathon to raise money for them.
“Whether through counselling or providing low-vision aids, this charity makes a real difference, even in the small things like helping someone make a cup of tea or maximise the use of available light — things we often take for granted.
“KAB’s work is life-changing, and while my fundraising is just a small contribution, I know every pound donated will make a difference.”
Having trained running the streets of Sittingbourne, Roland Eglinton’s hard work paid off today as he completed the London Marathon with a time of 05:22:25.
Ronald, the boss of Swale coach and bus firm Chalkwell Coach Hire, raised over £2,000 for the Scout Association.
He had marathon experience coming into today, having completed the London Marathon in 2023.
He said: “The London Marathon is such an iconic event, and is a challenge for runners of all abilities.
“The money raised will help support initiatives around the UK. Most people will know someone that is or has previously been involved in scouting, so this is a good opportunity to help out”.
Lollipop lady Tara Phee has entered the London Marathon ballot every year for the last 15 years and finally took part in the 2025 race to raise money for Westlands Primary School in Sittingbourne.
She crossed the finish line with a respectable 06:19:31 on the clock.
Tara set out to raise £500 for the school’s outdoor play and learning (OPAL) programme, which helps around 500 children build confidence, creativity, and social skills.
But attracting more than three times her fundraising goal in donations, the Sittingbourne resident has earned more than £1,600 for her cause.
“I saw the London Marathon as an amazing opportunity to raise money for an important cause, and I wanted to do something that directly benefits the children I see every day,” said Tara.
“Working at Westlands, I know how valuable the OPAL play programme is – it’s already made a huge difference, and I want to help it go even further.
“This run is my way of giving back to a community that means a great deal to me.”
Chloe, from Aylesford, finished next, with a time of 06:07:48, having raised more than £2,500 for The Brain Tumour Charity.
She took up the challenge in support of her husband Luke, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2020.
Luke, now 34, had surgery to remove the tumour in March 2020 and is now well on his way to full recovery.
Speaking before raceday Chloe, 33, said: “I’ve done other charity runs, and climbed Mount Snowdon, but I wanted to really challenge myself physically this time. After doing a half marathon, the full marathon distance was the next step.
“I just don’t think there’s enough awareness of brain tumours. I want to raise funds to help other families going through the same situation we went through.”
School teacher Helen Fairley completed the 2025 London Marathon with a time of 06:50:29.
She participated in the event to raise money for a new minibus for Headcorn Scouts, hoping to attract £1,000 in donations.
But Helen well overachieved, bringing in over £1,500 for her cause.
Helen first started running after undergoing cancer treatment and spent months building her strength – both physically and mentally.
Helen said: “Throughout my illness, the Cubs and Scouts provided my children with a much-needed escape—somewhere they could have fun, make friends, and just be kids, away from the challenges at home.
“I’ve seen so many young people grow in confidence, resilience, and leadership through Scouting.
“Scouting isn’t just about knots and campfires, it’s about adventure, teamwork, and developing life skills, and all of this is made possible by volunteers who dedicate countless hours to making it happen.”
Not only did Sarah Haddock from Hoo run 26.2 miles across London, but she did so dressed as a fish.
The 42-year-old completed the circuit in just under eight hours.
Speaking to KentOnline before the race, Sarah said she was aiming to become a record breaker.
But while she may not have had the fastest time of the day, she did more than achieve her goal of raising over £4,000 for Spinal Research, with 242 donations totalling £4,410.
The charity close to her heart because in October 2021, a freak accident in Corfu left her husband Paul with a serious spinal cord injury.
She said: “Paul was so fit and loved hiking but after the accident our lives have turned completely upside down and even though I’m not a runner I really wanted to support the work that Spinal Research is doing for people like Paul who’ve been paralysed after a spinal cord injury.
“And with a name like Haddock why not make it even more of a challenge do the London Marathon dressed as a fish.”
Sam McGurk from Swanley crossed the line with a time of 07:31:11, having raised money for the Salvation Army.
Due to a debilitating hernia as a child, he was unable to take part in running and contact sports until he was 14.
But training hard for today’s race, the father-of-six brought in £1,430 in support of the charity’s Survivor Support Fund, which assists survivors of modern slavery.
Ahead of the starting gun, he told KentOnline: “I want my kids to see that anything is possible. You may have setbacks in life but if you want to run a marathon, you can.”
