Charlotte runs Sydney Marathon for Hospice Care with Type 1 Diabetes

In August 2026, Charlotte Mitchell, ran the Sydney Marathon in Australia for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Breakthrough T1D. She kindly explains why:

“On 30 January 2026, my wonderful friend and housemate, Katie, lost her beloved dad, Roland, after a short and unexpected battle with oesophageal cancer.

While nothing can ease the unimaginable heartbreak and sadness of such a sudden and devastating loss, Katie, her mum, and her beautiful family found comfort in the care, compassion and gentle embrace of the extraordinary staff at Arthur Rank Hospice.

During those most difficult days, their kindness, warmth, and dedication provided reassurance, dignity and moments of peace for Katie, for her family and for her dearly loved dad.

Oesophageal cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, making it especially difficult to treat. Each year, around 9,200 new cases are diagnosed, with the disease predominantly affecting men. It’s also a disease my own family knows all too well as we sadly lost our much-loved grandad, Roy, to it as well.

In Roland’s memory and for my friend, Katie, I fundraised to support Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, the only adult specialist palliative care Inpatient Unit in Cambridge and the exceptional nurses and staff who provide such compassionate care.

Some of the clinical team sent a video message to Charlotte before the race. 

I shared the £3,220 I raised between Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Breakthrough T1D because on Sunday 12 August 2007, at the age of 13, life as I knew it changed forever when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Since then, I have injected the insulin I need to live, more than four times every day, with multiple finger pricks enabling me to monitor my blood sugar levels. This is over 80,000 injections alone into my body in the past 18 years and managing my blood sugars is a constant job requiring around 180 extra decisions each day.

Over 600,000 people in the UK and Australia have type 1 diabetes. It’s a complex lifelong condition with no known cause requiring daily management and treatment with insulin.

While I am very fortunate to have access to medicine and technology that enables me to live each day, with Breakthrough T1D’s groundbreaking research, we have enduring hope that the day will come where we can prevent Type 1 Diabetes or cure the lifelong condition.

Living life to its fullest is possible with Type 1 diabetes and, after my diagnosis, I made a promise to never let my diabetes be the reason not to do something and running my second marathon was no exception!

26.2 miles around one of the most iconic cities, new terrain, climate and the absence of my pink cowboy hat cheer squad – who helped me along the course in London, added to this challenge, but I was excited to lace up those pink trainers again, blast Kasabian, and, importantly, raise money for two charities that are very close to my heart.

From me and my type 1 diabetes, and Arthur Rank Hospice, thank you from the bottom of my heart (and pancreas) for all your love, kindness and support.”

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If you would like to run for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, please visit: arhc.org.uk/run