Among the thousands pounding the streets of London, one runner carried something far heavier than the 26.2 miles ahead of him.

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Ceri Menai-Davies wasn’t just running a marathon — he was keeping a promise.

Around his neck, for every single step of the 2026 TCS London Marathon, hung a pair of small, worn shoes. They belonged to his six-year-old son, Hugh.

Ceri completed the race on April 27, carrying Hugh’s shoes for the entire distance — a deeply personal tribute to a boy who never got the chance to see his dad run.

Hugh died aged six in September 2021 after battling a rare cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. The shoes Ceri wore were the same ones Hugh had on when he was admitted to hospital — a moment that would ultimately change everything.

Although Hugh never had a chance to run around and play in those shoes again, dad Ceri ensured that they would still be cover many, many miles – as they were right there, bouncing against his chest with every stride through the capital.

Before Hugh passed away, Ceri had told him he was planning to run a marathon — something the young boy was excited about. But he never got the chance to see it happen.

His message was printed clearly across his shirt, turning heads and stopping people in their tracks as he ran: “My name is Ceri. These are the shoes of my 6-year-old son Hugh. He died before I could run this marathon. Today, he finishes it with me.”

On the morning of the London Marathon, he also shared a message that made his intention clear: “Let’s go Hugh, one last time around London. He never got to cheer me on, today he’s with me.”

On the back of his shirt, another powerful detail: the names of 500 children who have died — a reminder that Hugh’s story is one of many.

Then, after the London Marathon on Sunday, Ceri wrote on Instagram: “Well that was emotional. Two marathons, 52 miles, one pair of shoes, one Hugh. I made a promise and I kept it. There were moments it really hit me and I wasn’t sure I’d get round, and yes… I cried at the end, but every single step was worth it because this was always about him.

“Thank you to everyone who supported, donated and sent messages — it carried me when my legs didn’t want to. I felt Hugh with me the whole way.”

Amazingly, this wasn’t the first time Ceri had taken Hugh with him on the road. Just weeks earlier, he had run the Paris Marathon on April 12 wearing the same shoes, clocking up over 56 miles across both races.

And these marathons are about more than just remembrance.

Ceri and his wife Frances co-founded the charity It’s Never You following Hugh’s diagnosis — words that came from Frances’ first reaction to the devastating news: “you always think it’s someone else’s child, never you”.

The charity supports families facing childhood cancer, helping them cope mentally, emotionally and financially during an unimaginably difficult time.

Alongside that, they’ve launched the Hugh’s Law campaign, pushing for better employment rights for parents caring for seriously ill children.

On their website, they explain the harsh reality many families face: “During Hugh’s treatment, we met parents pushed to breaking point, traumatised, exhausted, and forced to leave work just to stay by their child’s side.

“We are campaigning for Hugh’s Law: protected leave and pay for parents in crisis because being present shouldn’t cost everything.”

Frances has also spoken about the financial strain that comes with a diagnosis like Hugh’s.

“You can’t escape the financial burden; you have to deal with it,” mum Frances the BBC. “When we started a family, we had time to make financial plans, but when your child is diagnosed with cancer, you don’t have time.

“On top of dealing with your whole world being torn apart, you’re having to deal with financial repercussions, but there’s nothing there, and that’s what we want to change.”

Ceri’s marathon effort is part of a wider mission to raise £100,000 in Hugh’s memory. So far, more than £32,000 has already been raised.

If you would like to support Ceri, Frances, and their cause, you can find their Just Giving page HERE. Additionally, you can support the Hugh’s Law HERE.

Featured image credit: Instagram/@its.neveryoucharity