Siblings’ Marathon Effort In Tokyo Raised Over £5,200 For Sick Kids

A pair of generous siblings laced up their trainers to tackle the Tokyo Marathon, raising over £5,200 for our charity.

Brother and sister Jeremy and Claire Lemer took on the iconic course around the centre of Tokyo, inspired to go the distance due to Claire’s connection to our Children’s Hospital.

As Chief Officer for Strategy and Innovation at our hospital, Claire has been deeply moved by the impact charitable funds have on the lives of patients and families every single day, and wanted to do her bit to help.

Claire is no stranger to challenges herself. Four years ago, an injury caused by a road traffic accident left her temporarily needing to use a wheelchair. She was determined to push herself to the limit to regain her mobility, and after physiotherapy and rehabilitation support, she was able to complete her first ever marathon. There’s been no stopping her since, and this year, she set her sights on travelling across the globe to tick Tokyo off her bucket list.

Inspired by Claire’s resolve, Jeremy joined Claire on her first marathon, and since then, he’s well and truly caught the running bug. The pair felt the Tokyo Marathon was a natural choice for their second challenge, as Jeremy currently lives in Japan.

As race day came, it proved an even more gruelling challenge for the pair than their first marathon, due to some unseasonably hot weather. But they pushed through, buoyed by the architectural spectacle of Tokyo and the positive energy they received from the crowd, as they raced alongside runners from all over the world.

Crossing the finish line, Claire and Jeremy were filled with immense pride. Thanks to the generous support of family, friends and colleagues, the brother and sister duo were able to raise over an incredible £5,200 on behalf of our sick kids, smashing their fundraising goal.

Claire said: “Running the Tokyo Marathon was a wonderfully positive experience, especially running alongside my brother – though he ended up being faster than me!

“I did my first marathon during the pandemic and had a lot more time to prepare. But I’ve learned that a marathon is not so much of a physical exercise as a mental one. With the right mindset, I believe that anyone can do it, especially when it’s for a good cause, like the Children’s Hospital.”

Jeremy said: “I’d be much happier if a marathon was about 5-10km shorter. But it was all for a great cause.”

Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising, said: “Seeing this sibling duo conquer their fitness and fundraising goals on behalf of our patients is truly inspirational. Working at our hospital, Claire knows more than most the difference fundraising can make to the treatment, care and experience we can offer our patients and to raise over £5,200 is no mean feat. We’re so grateful.”