Aaron runs London Marathon and raises £14,000 in memory of his friend Kirk

In 2024, Aaron Davison from Cherry Hinton decided to take on the challenge of a lifetime for a very special reason.

His close friend of 30 years, Kirk Geoghan was receiving care from the Hospice team. Sadly, at just 50 years of age, in June 2024 Kirk passed away.

Whilst he was at the Inpatient Unit at the Hospice in Cambridge, Kirk gave Aaron a challenge – his wish was for Aaron to run the London Marathon and raise funds for the Charity that had cared for him and his family.

Aaron applied for a place in the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity team for the 2025 London Marathon and set himself a high fundraising target. He started training, and putting his fundraising plans in place, and absolutely smashed his target, raising a phenomenal £14,000 to support people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end of life care. Running an incredible marathon on a hot day in April.

In Aaron’s words, he shared:

“When Kirk was admitted to the Hospice, it was an incredibly difficult time — especially for his family. But the support they received allowed them to spend meaningful time together in those final days and that made all the difference.

When Kirk asked me to raise funds for the Charity, I knew immediately it was something I had to do. I was thrilled to secure a charity place in the London Marathon, and even happier that Kirk got to hear the news before he passed.

In the lead-up to the Marathon, we held two wonderful fundraising events — a quiz and auction night that raised over £4,000, and then a group of us – including some of Kirks family and closest friends, took on the challenge to climb Snowdon, where we raised a further £2,000.

The pinnacle of this journey was the wonderful London Marathon itself which was both a challenge and a privilege. There were tough moments, but the thought of why I was running gave me the drive to keep going.

Crossing the finish line was an unforgettable experience — made even more special by having some of Kirk’s family there on the day. I know those who couldn’t attend were still with me in spirit and I knew what it meant to them all.

To have raised over £14,000 for such an incredible Charity is something I’ll always be proud of. I know Kirk would be smiling down with pride and saying, ‘well done.’

This cheque presentation marks the close of our fundraising journey (for now) — and being able to do this with Esme and Eden, Kirk’s daughters, makes it even more meaningful. It’s exactly what he wanted.”

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is so proud of Aaron for his incredible achievements, both by running 26.2 miles and the amazing amount he has raised, which will help us care for more patients and families like Kirk.

Jenny Oakes, Ward Manager cared for Kirk and commented:

“I was privileged enough to witness the wonderful relationship Kirk had with his family and friends during his stay with us. Aaron was so proud to tell Kirk that he had a place to run in the Marathon.

We always feel honoured to witness the love and support our patients receive from their loved ones and Kirk’s time on the Inpatient Unit was filled with love, laughter, reflection and precious time. This spilled over into the fundraising Aaron did as part of his Marathon build up and the big day itself.

Aaron, on behalf of the Charity and especially the Inpatient Unit thank you so much for your amazing fundraising total!!”

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If you’ve been inspired by Aaron, we have running challenges ranging from 10km to marathons, cycle rides, treks and walks. For more on Arthur Rank Hospice Charity’s care services and their next fundraising events and challenges visit arhc.org.uk/challenges