Bristol and Bath NHS Doctors Run London Marathon to Celebrate 25 Years since Founding Maternal Health Charity

Two South West-based NHS doctors take on this year’s TCS London Marathon – not only as runners, but also as the founders of the charity they’re raising money for.

Dr Dan Magnus, a Paediatrician at Bristol’s Royal Hospital for Children, and Dr Rebecca Leslie, an Anaesthetist at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, co-founded maternal and child health charity Child.org in 2001. On Sunday 26 April – 25 years later – the doctors will join nine other runners as part of Child.org’s first ever contingent at the London Marathon.

The running team hopes to raise more than £40,000 for Child.org – unrestricted funds that will go directly towards the charity’s vital work in making pregnancy and birth safer for women and their babies across Kenya.

Kenya’s maternal mortality rate stands at 355 deaths per 100,000 births, considerably higher than the global average of 197 per 100,000. Pregnancy is not a disease, yet women across the world continue to die from preventable pregnancy-related causes. Charities like Child.org are vital in building systems where women’s health is prioritised.

Dr Rebecca Leslie said: “We started Child.org 25 years ago with not much more than a belief that children in Kenya deserved better. Where you happen to be born shouldn’t determine your chances of survival. Today we’re working to give every baby the healthiest possible start to life, beginning with their mother. Running the London Marathon is my way of celebrating how far we’ve come – and how far we’ll go. I’m incredibly proud to be doing it for Child.org in our 25th year.”

Dr Dan Magnus added: “When we started the charity as medical students, 25 years ago, we couldn’t have imagined that Child.org would be where it is now. Running the marathon this year is a way for me to not only celebrate and support the amazing work Child.org is doing to support mothers and babies – but also to remind all of us that anything is possible when it comes to making the world just a little better.”

Child.org works with women, local communities, and health authorities in Kenya to design and deliver programmes that improve access to and utilisation of critical maternal and infant health services. Through Pregnant Women’s Groups, Child.org delivers life-changing information and care to pregnant women, and their newborns.

Child.org also helps to bring vital health services close to those in rural communities; where in some regions it is common for women who are heavily pregnant – or in labour – to travel 30 – 70km to reach her nearest health facility. Due to bad roads and poor infrastructure, this can take between 2-3 hours.

This April, Child.org’s founders will run 42.4km through the streets of London to raise money to bring healthcare closer to the women who need it most.

For those inspired to follow in their footsteps: Child.org will open applications for its 2027 London Marathon team on Sunday 26 April 2026 – the very same day as this year’s race. Would-be runners can find out more at www.child.org/london-marathon.

Hattie Rowan, Communications & Engagement Manager at Child.org said: “Global progress in reducing the deaths of pregnant women and newborns has stalled since 2015 – despite most deaths being completely preventable. We cannot understate how critical it is to prioritise women and children’s health moving forward. If you’ve ever thought about running the London Marathon for a cause that really matters, we’d love you to apply for a space on our 2027 marathon team.”

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