Hospice supporter runs Half Marathon in memory of his best friend

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Matt Ford is one of the TTP Cambridge Half Marathon runners who chose to raise funds for patients at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Growing up in Cambridge, Matt was aware of the Hospice for a long time but he had no direct involvement until 2016, when one of his closest friends, Ed Hallum, was diagnosed with cancer.

Matt ran the Cambridge Half Marathon, on Sunday 4 March 2024, in memory of Ed, who was cared for by the Charity and shared:

“I saw first-hand the work and support they gave not only to Ed but to his family too. Ed and I were born two weeks apart, lived two minutes away from each other and spent our entire childhood in each other’s pockets; we were best friends growing up and in 2000 he was the best man at my wedding.

We spent most of our lives around Cambridge, attending school at Netherhall, playing sports, seeing gigs at the Corn Exchange and spending some time in quite a few pubs too.”

Ed died at the age of 40, survived by his wife and young daughter. Matt describes that now as he moves into the years Ed never got to experience – spending time with his family and watching his children grow – he understands how important it is that the team at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is making sure those difficult moments are made as easy as possible.

“Ed also ran his own business specialising in strength and conditioning, and fitness was a huge part of his life. I’m proud to be doing my feat of fitness endurance by running the Cambridge Half – not only around the streets we frequented growing up, but also on the weekend closest to his birthday that would have seen him turn 48.

I ran with his name on my T-shirt and his voice in my ear the whole way.”

To support Matt you can donate on his Enthuse page here: https://arhc.enthuse.com/pf/matthew-ford

If you would like to support people in Cambridgeshire living with a living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition please visit arhc.org.uk/fundraising or email fundraising@arhc.org.uk or telephone 01223 675888.