Paul Gill, who works at Manor House School near Horsham joined a team of 760 BHF runners who took to the streets of London on Sunday 27th April to fund the charity’s lifesaving research.
Paul, 47, ran in support of his son Henry, 15, who was born with congenital heart disease and has undergone three open heart surgeries.
Paul ran the 26.2 mile course in five hours and 43 minutes and raised more than £4000 for the BHF.
The iconic event raised more than £1.5 million for the BHF, which will enable the charity to continue to fund ground-breaking research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases.
Paul said: “When Henry was born and we were given the news about his heart, we were immediately provided with information produced by the British Heart Foundation. It was a big help to us at that frightening and bewildering time.
“Henry is medicated daily, attached to a breathing machine overnight and an electronic pump which delivers an overnight feed to allow him to keep up his strength for the next day of activity. He is currently in year 11 and studying for his GCSEs at high school, which in itself is a miracle.
“Henry is severely limited in the sport he can do due to his chest anatomy following his open heart surgeries. I'm running to support the BHF who have supported us as a family and helped Henry to be where he is now.
“Taking part in the 2025 TCS London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), was such a huge challenge and an incredible experience. The atmosphere around the course was electric and it was amazing having so many people cheering me on, it made me even more determined to cross the finish line.
“The research that’s funded by the BHF does makes such a difference to over 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases. I’m proud that I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help keep families across the UK together for longer.”
Jas Dhanda, Events Manager at the BHF, added: “It’s fantastic to see Paul’s courage and determination in helping us fund lifesaving research. Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners and the commitment of people like Paul, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.
“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was incredible to see Paul and 760 others take on such a gruelling challenge to help save and improve lives.”
To take on your own challenge for the BHF, visit www.bhf.org.uk/events
Donate to Paul’s fundraising page here: British Heart Foundation: Paul's BHF fundraising page