A widow named Laura Coleman-Day ran the London Marathon wearing her wedding dress to honor her late husband, Xander, who died from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rare blood and bone marrow cancer. She completed the marathon on what would have been their sixth wedding anniversary, making the gesture a poignant tribute. Laura put on her wedding dress around mile 23 and ran the final three miles in it, describing the experience as “absolutely amazing but very hot” due to the gown’s warmth during the race.
Laura had undertaken a challenge to run 13 marathons within a year to raise funds for Anthony Nolan, a charity dedicated to blood cancer and stem cell research. This marathon was the culmination of that effort, motivated by her desire to prevent others from suffering the same fate as her husband and to support research into post-transplant complications, which contributed to Xander’s death.
She was accompanied by her friend Kate Walford, who was also running in memory of a loved one lost to leukemia. Together, they found the day inspiring despite the heat, and crossing the finish line in the wedding dress was a deeply moving moment for both.
