London will welcome 14 runners from across the Twins Trust community for the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday 6 April.

As a team, they have set themselves challenging fundraising goals, with the aim of raising as much as they can for the charity. 

We’ve caught up with a few of our runners before the big day, which will see runners pass landmarks including Big Ben and Tower Bridge, to learn about what supporting Twins Trust means to them.

"I’m doing this for Maeve"

As Rosa runs her first half marathon in London, she’ll be thinking of her precious daughter, Maeve. Maeve was a twin and died when Rosa was 24 weeks pregnant.

Rosa signed up for the London Landmarks Half Marathon as she wanted to raise money for Twins Trust in honour of Maeve. She said: “Being pregnant with dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA) twins, we were told it was the lowest-risk twin pregnancy, but sadly, nothing could prepare us for losing Maeve. There are no words to describe that pain, but we choose to keep her memory alive with love and joy.”

Rosa discovered the Twins Trust Bereavement Service following a recommendation from her midwife. In the bereavement service Facebook group, she found other families who had experienced loss and she felt less alone as she read their stories.

“I joined the Facebook group straight away - mostly as a silent reader rather than actively joining in conversations. Just reading others’ experiences and knowing we weren’t alone brought comfort during such a heartbreaking time.”

Keeping Maeve’s legacy alive is important for the family and Rosa, who is new to running, said she is doing the challenge in memory of her daughter.

Speaking about the challenge, she said "I’ve signed up to raise money for Twins Trust to help save babies’ lives and support families who go through the heartbreak of losing a baby/babies from a multiple pregnancy. It’s also a personal challenge for me - I’ve never been what you’d call a runner. But most importantly, I’m doing this for Maeve. To keep her memory alive, to celebrate her, and to thank her for shaping me into the person I am today. I know she’ll be with me every step of the way.”

"The charity means something to all of us"

It will be a family affair for Michelle and her twin girls, Elise and Chloe, when they run the London Landmarks Half Marathon. Michelle, who has previously completed the London Marathon, said she was inspired to take part in the event with her 19-year-old twins.

“I applied for the London Marathon 2024 but I didn’t get a place. I was looking at other runs to do and I said to the girls it would be nice if we did one together. I said we could get a charity place with Twins Trust. I signed us up and said it would be a good goal to aim for.

There’s so much that the charity does to help others. The charity means something to all of us,” she said.

Having built her fitness up for the 2023 London Marathon, Michelle, who is also mum to Grace, nine and Zac, 11, wanted to continue running and keep fit. Her husband also joins her too on some routes. Primary school teacher Michelle said: “I’ve done some other events, including an Aquathon, a swim and a run, with Grace, as part of my training. It will be nice to go through it together. The atmosphere will be amazing and will carry us the whole way.”

"Just reading other people’s stories made me feel less alone"

When Daniela watched the two lines appear on a pregnancy test during a dream holiday in the Maldives, she couldn’t have been happier.

After the initial shock of discovering they were expecting multiples, Daniela and fiancé Dave couldn’t wait for their twin daughters to arrive. Tragically, they never got to meet one of their daughters, Daisy, after she died due to a condition called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). Daniela found comfort in the Twins Trust Bereavement Service community when Daisy died.

“I joined the Twins Trust Bereavement Service social channels and found others who had been through a similar situation. You know they’re on the same page and understand you. Just reading other people’s stories on the pages made me feel less alone,” she said.

Daniela and Dave, plus their gym members at FBC Harrogate, have ploughed their time into helping others and fundraising for Twins Trust, to support other bereaved families. Daniela is excited to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon for Twins Trust.