Daughter runs Cambridge Half Marathon in memory of Dad and Hospice Care

Emily Hudson Waller, aged 41 from Cambridge, has signed up to run the Cambridge Half Marathon for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. She kindly shared her personal reasons why:

“I’m raising money for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity because they cared for my Dad, William John Hudson (Will), during the final 10 days of his life and they became our lifeline during the hardest time our family has ever been through.

Dad had always been incredibly fit and healthy. He ran, cycled and swam throughout his life. He suddenly became ill in September 2025 and was diagnosed with bile duct cancer. Sadly, this type of cancer is often only detected when it is already at an advanced stage.

When Dad came home from hospital, we were completely overwhelmed. We were facing something none of us were prepared for. We were utterly heartbroken and everything was happening so quickly.

The Hospice at Home Team from Arthur Rank Hospice Charity visited us. Their support meant that Dad could stay at home, surrounded by the people he loved and that we could simply be his family. They gave Dad care, compassion and dignity when he needed it most but they did something incredibly important for our whole family too — they allowed us to breathe.

The Clinical Team understood what we were going through. They didn’t just care for Dad; they wrapped their arms around him and our family and helped carry us through his final days. Those 10 days were incredibly painful, but they helped make them peaceful, dignified and full of love. They allowed us to spend those precious final days with him rather than having to worry about everything else. I will never forget that. I will always be grateful for the care, compassion and dignity they gave him before he died at the end of October 2025.

Running the Cambridge Half Marathon and raising money for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity feels like a small way of giving something back for everything the Charity did for Dad and for our family. Dad was a lifelong runner, so there is something really special about me now putting on my trainers and following in his footsteps. The funny part is that I have never been a runner and Dad would probably laugh at me! So, this is going to be a very big challenge for me. I’m starting from scratch to work towards my first ever half marathon.

Dad was such an active person and had run countless miles throughout his life. I can imagine him wondering why it had taken me this long to discover running! But I think he would be incredibly proud of me. He was always my biggest supporter and my biggest hype man. He would have been the person standing on the sidelines cheering the loudest. I know there will be moments during those 13.1 miles when I wonder why on earth I thought this was a good idea but I’ll think of Dad and keep going.

I will be forever grateful to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity for the way they cared for Dad and for us. I hope that by raising money, I can help them be there for another family when they need that lifeline. Arthur Rank Hospice Charity doesn’t just care for the person who is dying — they care for the whole family. Hospice care can be something people don’t want to think about until they need it. But when your family suddenly needs that support, it can mean absolutely everything.

So, this run is for my Dad. For the man I watched run countless miles. For the Dad I stood on the sidelines cheering for. And now, it’s my turn to run — with him in my heart every step of the way.

I’m definitely going to need the runners, the crowd and the memories of Dad to get me around those 13.1 miles. I just wish he could be there to see me do it.”

To support Emily please visit her sponsorship page: https://arhc.enthuse.com/pf/emily-waller

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If you would like to run for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in the Cambridge Half Marathon 2027, please visit: arhc.org.uk/cambridgehalf