With the capital’s marathon sprinting into its 41st year, it brings to light some of the most emotive and moving stories the nation has to offer. Every one of the 50,000 runners in the London Marathon this year has a reason for embarking on the 26.2 mile journey. Completing the entire marathon is no small feat – each runner goes through months, if not years of intense training to prepare and fundraise – with £8.2m being raised in total in the lead up to the race and £2.1m raised on race day itself. Behind each fundraising page there’s a touching human stories – the causes for fundraising go from cancer research to mental health and every other human-interest cause in between. The marathon is the perfect moment for the nation to reflect on the stories of the struggles and hardships our loved ones have gone through – and the redemptive act of running a marathon in their honor. Nation’s top biographer, StoryTerrace, has helped marathon runners document their stories throughout the years.

Landmark research from StoryTerrace states that 12% of Brits have experienced a medical miracle and over one-in-four Brits has overcome a mental illness at some point in their life. In light of all of the adversity endured by Brits, the act of running a marathon – whether it be in memory of a loved one or for oneself – is the ultimate act of resilience and reclamation. One of the thousands inspiring stories to come out of the iconic London Marathon is that of Kevin Oakes, who was bullied in school due to his autism and Asperger’s. Finding solace in running, as an adult Kevin became invested in marathon running – having run marathons around the world – from London to Berlin, he commends the process of memoir-writing as giving him a “huge confidence boost” in remembering how far he has come to date. Kevin’s story is about the redemptive process of marathon running as a vehicle to overcome feelings of isolation and depression due to bullying as a child – he credits running as an outlet and now gives back by fundraising for causes that are near to his heart, like learning disability charity Mencap.

CEO and founder of StoryTerrace, Rutger Bruining, comments on the importance of memorializing our stories and those of our loved ones.

“The London Marathon is a perfect opportunity to reflect on the adversity that we’ve faced as a nation – the act of running a marathon can be an emotional process. The hours invested into training and fundraising, the support we receive from our loved ones and the energy of the event itself serves as a reminder of the fact that we are built to overcome bouts of difficulty.

“The main takeaway from the marathon is the importance of memorialising the stories of our loved ones – many people use the marathon as an act of remembrance, and that is the ethos I keep on returning to with StoryTerrace. Whether it’s writing a memoir or running a marathon, it is such a beautiful and emotive process to put effort into the immortalisation and preservation of not only our achievements but the stories of those we love. “