James from Kent is taking on the TCS London Marathon this April.

He tells us why he’s taking on 26.2 miles.

'I’m proud to be taking on the London Marathon this year for Terrence Higgins Trust.'

Growing up, the misconceptions around HIV was something that was fed to me and, with a lack of education, installed fear for the virus within me and the community that I grew up around.

After a personal experience with the virus, I found Terrence Higgins Trust and looked toward its wealth of services available to those living with HIV, as well as information to educate people on HIV itself and common misconceptions that are unfortunately still prevalent today.

Without the work of the charity, the accessibility of support for those living with HIV in the UK would be hard to come by. In my case, the charity has inspired me to talk about the virus amongst my friends and family, eradicating these misconceptions and helping to promote U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable).

Now, it is time for me to give something back. I began my running journey at the beginning of 2024 and became instantly hooked. The London Marathon will be my second marathon, and I hope to get a time quicker than the first!

So far, I have been fundraising through baking for friends and colleagues, participating in dry January, and sharing my progress online. I’m delighted to be fundraising and raising awareness for Terrence Higgins Trust and hope this is only the beginning!'

Cahir from London is also taking on the Marathon and supporting our work at Terrence Higgins Trust. 

Cahir tells us why he’s taking on the run for a second time.

'I was diagnosed as HIV+ back in 2014. Upon receiving my diagnosis, I thought I was going to die.

My knowledge of living with HIV was minimal, and I had no idea that I could live a long and healthy life, just like my HIV-negative peers.

The support I received through Terrence Higgins Trust’s peer mentoring and therapy helped me to find my voice and to begin opening up to others about my HIV status.

The charity’s ‘Can't Pass It On' campaign in 2016 gave me a further confidence boost: I learned that because I was on effective medication, my viral load was undetectable and I couldn’t pass the virus on. With this knowledge, I felt better prepared to share my HIV story. In 2016, to give something back, I ran the London Marathon for Terrence Higgins Trust and I have been involved with the charity and their vital work ever since.

I’m now proud to be a Positive Voices speaker for THT. Through the Positive Voices programme, I received training so that I can share my personal HIV story and general information about the virus. I give regular talks to large groups in schools, universities, workplaces, prisons and other organisations. I have now also become a Peer Mentor myself, and I work in the NHS, helping others to come to terms with their HIV diagnosis and connecting them with useful resources.

Next year, I will be running the London Marathon again for Terrence Higgins Trust. I’m looking forward to raising money for the charity that has helped me so much over the years, and continues to do such important work around HIV awareness, educating others, smashing stigma, and ending new cases of HIV in the UK by 2030.'
 

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