A SCHOOL teacher from Wellington has completed the London Marathon running in memory of his daughter Olivia.

Year 6 teacher at St John’s C of E Primary School, Harry Foster finished the race in just under four hours with his wife Rebecca’s support, raising vital funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Charity.

Harry undertook the challenge on behalf of the charity after Great Ormond Street Hospital supported the couple following the sudden death of their daughter Olivia, at just 15 months old in October 2023.

Harry ran in memory of his daughter Olivia who died at just 15 months old from a rare illness.
Harry ran in memory of his daughter Olivia who died at just 15 months old from a rare illness. (Harry Foster)

It was GOSH who stepped in to undertake the postmortem on Olivia and found she died of a rare and hard-to-diagnose illness, Acute Viral Myocarditis. The couple, eternally grateful to the staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital who gave them the answers they so desperately needed, decided to raise funds for the charity to help others in the same situation. The marathon was the logical next step for Harry.

Running under the banner Be More Like Olivia, Harry set himself a target of £15,000 and 16 weeks to train for his marathon debut.

Staff and pupils from St John's watched Mr Foster's marathon effort on the TV on Sunday to cheer him on.
Staff and pupils from St John's watched Mr Foster's marathon effort on the TV on Sunday to cheer him on. (Harry Foster)

Reflecting on the arduous task of completing the London marathon, Harry said: “It was emotional from start to finish and made me feel a sense of achievement like I never had before.

“The London Marathon was such a tough challenge, going into it with a slight injury wasn’t what I had planned but 16 weeks of hard training paid off.

“The course itself was amazing, and I loved spotting some of the most famous landmarks during the route. The reason for doing this is what got me through, especially when it got very warm and my legs were struggling to run.

Harry kept his daughter Olivia close during the race with her picture tucked inside his socks.
Harry kept his daughter Olivia close during the race with her picture tucked inside his socks. (Harry Foster)

“The crowd support was absolutely overwhelming and something that I’ve never experienced before.

“I loved running in Olivia’s memory. I feel like it is my way of still being her Dad, keeping her legacy alive and sharing her story.”

Harry and Rebecca have so far raised just over £17,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

Throughout the 26.2 miles he had a photograph of his daughter tucked into his sock which he pulled out on the final stretch down the Mall to remind himself, and the millions watching, why he was running the marathon. He added: “I carried Olivia across the line with me in 3 hours 56 minutes.”

Harry and his wife Rebecca have raised just over £17,000 for GOSH with in memory of their daughter.
Harry and his wife Rebecca have raised just over £17,000 for GOSH with in memory of their daughter. (Harry Foster)

A spokesperson for the school said: “Staff and pupils at St John’s C of E Primary school in Wellington are incredibly proud of Harry Foster, many of them watching Mr Foster on Sunday, cheering from their homes as they watched him cross the finishing line.

“Mr Foster had a much-needed break on Monday but returned to school on Tuesday with his medal which he proudly shared with the school and received high praise, gifts and admiration throughout the day.

“Congratulations to everyone taking part on the day, especially to our incredible Mr Foster, and a special thank you to everyone who supported him and Great Ormond Street Hospital.”