Every year, a small but determined group of runners takes on the TCS London Marathon wearing the colours of Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK. For most of them, this is personal. Survivors running to prove their heart still has miles left in it. Co-survivors running in honour of someone who nearly wasn’t there to cheer. Friends and supporters who believe that no one affected by cardiac arrest should face the journey alone.
If that sounds like you, we would love to have you in the team.
Why Run for SCA UK?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK is the UK’s largest community for survivors of sudden cardiac arrest and the people close to them. We are run entirely by volunteers and funded entirely by donations. Every pound raised by our marathon runners goes directly towards peer support, information resources, regional meet-ups, and advocacy for better survivorship care across the NHS.
Fewer than one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Of those who do, many face a long and bewildering road with little structured support. Your fundraising helps us be there for every one of them.
How to Join Team SCA UK
Apply for a Charity Place
We hold a small number of charity places for the TCS London Marathon each year. These are precious: each place has a cost to the charity, so we ask all runners who take one to commit to a fundraising minimum of £2,000. Charity places are allocated by application, and we look for runners with a genuine connection to sudden cardiac arrest, whether as a survivor, co-survivor, or supporter.
To express your interest, get in touch with us and tell us a little about your connection to SCA UK and your marathon experience.
Already Have a Ballot Place?
If you have won a place in the public ballot and would like to run for SCA UK, we would be delighted to support your fundraising. Get in touch and we can provide fundraising guidance, team resources, and a place in the SCA UK cheer squad on race day.
What We Offer Our Runners
- Team coordination: a dedicated team lead trustee who manages applications, keeps runners informed, and supports you through your fundraising journey
- Running advice: access to experienced long-distance running guidance from within the SCA UK community
- Fundraising support: guidance on setting up your fundraising page, tips from previous runners, and promotion of your page through SCA UK’s channels
- Race day support: SCA UK supporters on the course to cheer you through
- Community: you become part of the SCA UK family, and the people you run alongside will stay with you long after the finish line
See What the Team Can Do: 2026
In April 2026, Team SCA UK made its debut at the TCS London Marathon. Four runners, four remarkable stories, and a combined fundraising total of around £20,000. One of them ran two sub-three-hour marathons in successive weekends, cycling 416km in between. Another completed the course three weeks after deciding to enter, on minimal training. A third ran as a cardiac arrest survivor, fewer than three years after his heart stopped on a football pitch.
Meet the 2026 team and read their stories
Ready to Run?
Whether you are a seasoned marathon runner or someone who has never pinned on a race number, if sudden cardiac arrest has touched your life, we want to hear from you.
Email us at [email protected] to find out about places for the next race, or to let us know you would like to run for SCA UK with your own ballot place.
You can also explore other ways to fundraise for SCA UK if the marathon is not for you right now.