Father running London Marathon with cape for ‘superhero’ children with cancer

Ceri Menai-Davis will run the TCS London Marathon to honour his son, Hugh, who died of cancer aged six.

Ceri Menai-Davis will run the London Marathon wearing a cape containing the names of children who are living with or have died from cancer (Ceri Menai-Davis/PA)

A father whose son died from cancer is to run the London Marathon wearing a cape bearing the names of “superhero” children who are either living with or have died from the disease.

Ceri Menai-Davis, 41, from Hertford, will be running the 26.2 mile race to remember his son, Hugh, who died aged six from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of soft tissue cancer, and honour the “courage” of children currently undergoing cancer treatment.

Mr Menai-Davis, who will run his third London Marathon event on April 21, told the PA news agency: “These are all children under the age of 14 going through an absolutely horrid time and the idea is the cape signifies their courage.

“We’ve come across so many different parents from across the country and they all want their chance to have their child’s story told.

“I thought how can I best show these children as superheroes, which is what they are. What I’m going to do is wear a superhero cape and put all the children’s names on it.”

Hugh’s name will feature in the middle of the cape, and will be surrounded by the names of children who are living with or have died from cancer, which have been submitted by parents who receive support from Mr Menai-Davis’s charity, It’s Never You.

He co-founded the charity with his wife Frances in March 2022 six months after Hugh died in September 2021.

Over the last year Mr Menai-Davis has advocated for the Government to implement Hugh’s Law, a Bill named after his son, which is designed to give furlough-style payments and other benefits to parents caring for their sick child in hospital for an extended period.

He hopes the run will demonstrate his solidarity with parents who are caring for a child with cancer or who have lost their loved ones to the disease.

“We’re standing up for (parents). A lot of people don’t realise how bad parents have it,” he said.

“As we know from the work that we’ve been doing they’re left on their own, they’re isolated.

“They don’t have any support. They’re given the worst news ever and it’s just to give something back to them.”

The 41-year-old completed his first marathon in 2021 – a day before Hugh’s funeral.

“I actually buried him with my first medal, so I never got a medal from the first (London Marathon) that I did,” he said.

He completed his second London Marathon last year where he ran with a white T-shirt signed by children receiving chemotherapy treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He predicts he will not “walk for a week” after running the race and joked he is “not at an age to start running marathons” but said the crowds of people offering support will keep him motivated.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go beyond the pain barrier to do things for what you need to do,” he explained.

“Everyone’s running for a cause. Everyone’s running for someone or something. That’s the most amazing thing about it.

“It’s not the running that’s addictive, it’s the feeling of the crowds cheering you on.”

Mr Menai-Davis has set up a JustGiving page to raise his target of £5,000 for his charity.

To support his fundraiser, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/its-never-you-1705850694708