Leicester Half Marathon 2025: Core Events Running for the British Heart Foundation

Why This Matters

Heart and circulatory diseases remain one of the UK’s leading causes of illness and death. Many people imagine these conditions affect only the elderly. The reality is different. They can strike at any age — even in young, active people who appear healthy. That reality changed everything for Beth Rutherford in late 2024, when her partner Max suffered a sudden heart attack at just 24 years old.

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Beth and Alex Take Action

To raise money and awareness, Beth and her colleague Alex Gilding from Core Events will run the Leicester Half Marathon on Sunday 26 October 2025. 

Their goal is simple: to support the British Heart Foundation Charity, fund vital research and highlight the importance of recognising early symptoms. This is not about personal achievement. It is about giving back and ensuring more families have the chance that Max did.

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Max’s Story

Max had always been active. One evening, after football, he complained of chest pain. At first, it seemed minor. But in the weeks that followed, he became unusually tired, often needing long naps and gradually lost interest in his normal hobbies.

What none of them knew was that Max had a hereditary condition that causes plaque to build in the arteries. Left unchecked, it can lead to blockages and heart attacks. When the crisis came, the team at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester acted quickly and gave Max the care he needed.

Beth recalls: “You never expect something like this to happen at such a young age. Without the staff at Glenfield and the research that guides their work, the outcome could have been very different.”

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Why Support the British Heart Foundation

The British Heart Foundation is the UK’s largest funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases. It also works to raise awareness, improve treatments and support families affected by these conditions.

For Beth and Alex, this run is about helping the charity continue its work. It is also about encouraging others to recognise the signs that are often dismissed: chest discomfort, unusual fatigue or changes in behaviour. These can all be early warnings.

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The Plan

• Take part in the Leicester Half Marathon 2025
  
  
• Share Max’s story to raise awareness of hereditary heart conditions
  
  
• Raise donations for the British Heart Foundation Charity through their fundraising page

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How You Can Help

Beth and Alex cannot do this alone. They are asking for support from friends, colleagues and anyone moved by their story. Every donation, no matter the size, goes directly to the British Heart Foundation to fund research and support services. Sharing their story also makes a difference by helping others recognise symptoms and seek help earlier.

Donate here: www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-raise-money-for-the-british-heart-foundation

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Looking Ahead

The Leicester Half Marathon is just one day. But the impact Beth and Alex hope to create goes far beyond the finish line. With more funding, the British Heart Foundation can push research further, improve treatments and help prevent heart disease in people of all ages.

For Beth, this is about gratitude. For Alex, it is about standing beside a friend and colleague. For both, it is about ensuring others get the same chance Max did — a second chance at life.

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