Running the London Marathon for Niamh

On Sunday 26 April Drew is taking on the London Marathon in memory of his fiancée, Niamh, raising funds for animal-free research – a cause they both believed in deeply.

Here, Drew shares his story:

I first met Niamh in July 2015 while I was working at Lush in Brighton. We got chatting about animal rights, veganism, and our shared dislike of the hot weather. Before she left, I slipped a Blackberry bath bomb and a handwritten note into her bag. Later, I found out she’d left her number for me – and the rest is history.

From the start, everything felt right. We built our life around the little things – laughing at terrible jokes, playing music together (her on flute, me on sax), and finding joy even when things didn’t go to plan, like getting completely lost on the way to Alton Towers.

Niamh had endless compassion. She rescued and cared for rats that others had given up on, and worked as a private carer while studying to become a children’s nurse at the University of Brighton. She gave so much of herself to both people and animals.

On her birthday in 2017, I proposed – and she said yes. We were planning our future together, but in June 2020, everything changed. Niamh suddenly became unwell and passed away from acute pancreatitis. It was completely unexpected.

Losing her has been devastating. For a long time, the trauma of that night overshadowed everything. But slowly, I’ve found my way back to the memories that matter – the laughter, the kindness, and the way she saw the world. For me, grief is just another form of love. It doesn’t go away; it becomes something you carry.

This year marks six years since we lost her. The London Marathon, on 26 April – just after her birthday – feels like a way to channel that emotion into something meaningful.

When I got a ballot place, supporting Animal Free Research UK felt like the obvious choice. It’s a cause that mattered deeply to Niamh and one we both believed in. Animal testing is still widely used, despite most drugs failing in human trials. Supporting animal-free research means backing better, more effective, and more ethical science.

Niamh believed in making a difference – not just in big ways, but in small, everyday actions. Whether it was moving a snail out of harm’s way, pulling into a service station to rescue a spider clinging to her wing mirror, speaking up when something wasn’t right, or encouraging small changes, she showed how much impact one person can have.

That’s something I try to carry forward – to be a bit more like her.

Running the London Marathon is about more than the distance. It’s about her. I am lucky to have had five years with my soulmate, and that’s something I’ll carry with me forever.

Please support if you can. Every donation helps fund life-saving, animal-free research and continues the kind of change Niamh believed in so strongly. Even sharing this story makes a difference.

Donate now

Best of luck with your fundraising and training, Drew, for the marathon this weekend!