Running for Someone Close to Home: Aaron Cox on the London Marathon

One month from now, it’ll be London Marathon time. The streets will be packed, friends and family gathered at the barriers, colourful signs waving in the air, and that kind of atmosphere you really do not get anywhere else.

What’s always so beautiful about the London Marathon is not just watching people push themselves to achieve something incredible, it’s discovering their “why”.

The runners in charity vests. The T-shirts carrying the names of loved ones. The stories shared on social media about loss, resilience, hope and the reason someone decided to take on 26.2 miles in the first place.

That’s what makes the event so powerful. It’s a chance for people to come together and support someone doing something deeply personal, and to get behind them every step of the way.

This year, for David Astburys Managing Partner Aaron Cox, that “why” is very close to home.

Aaron is taking on this year’s London Marathon in support of a neighbour’s family, after their young daughter was diagnosed with cancer last year.

It is the kind of story that feels especially meaningful to us because it starts where so many important things do, right on your own street.

At David Astburys, we talk a lot about being part of the community, but stories like this are a reminder of what that really means. Sometimes it is not about the big gestures. It is about showing up, quietly and wholeheartedly, for the people living right next door.

For Aaron, the decision to run is rooted in both personal ambition and something much bigger than himself. “It’s actually always been a goal of mine to do it,” he says. “But with something going on so close to home, now feels like the perfect time.”

That is what makes this feel special. It is not a grand announcement or a carefully staged fundraising campaign. It is one person deciding to put themselves through something physically and mentally demanding because someone nearby is going through something far harder.

Aaron first spoke to his neighbour about the family’s fundraising plans and whether there was a way to support what they were already doing. The family already had a major fundraising event on the horizon, so rather than trying to step into the foreground, Aaron’s marathon effort has become something quieter. 

A small reminder that not every act of kindness needs to shout. Sometimes it is enough to simply get on with it, do something difficult, and do it for the right reasons.

But, of course, running a marathon is no small commitment.

Aaron had actually planned to do it years ago, around 12 years back, but training was interrupted by injury and an operation. Life moved on, and the moment passed. But this year, with a cause that felt so close to home, the challenge came back into focus.

Now, training has become part of his daily life. He is running four times a week, with early starts, short runs squeezed around work, and longer sessions stretching to three hours. It takes structure, discipline and a willingness to keep going even when your body would rather do anything else. And like most marathon runners, he will probably tell you the training itself is the real test.

“Be totally committed, be structured, be disciplined,” he says. “I think the difference between the good and the great is often that one percent. Going a little bit harder, a little bit longer, being a little bit more disciplined.”

There is something in that mindset that feels very Aaron. Practical, focused, not much fuss. 

But for all the physical effort involved, one of the most interesting parts of our conversation was hearing what running gives him mentally. “The run is key, honestly,” he says. “It’s just peace of mind. Total focus.”

For someone balancing the pressure and pace of business ownership, that makes perfect sense. Running has become more than training. It is headspace and a way to step outside of the day-to-day decision making towards a little more quiet. 

Maybe that is why the London Marathon resonates with so many people.The idea that even while doing this for somebody else, the process itself changes you. It asks more of you. It strips things back. It reminds you what you are capable of when you commit to something fully.

Yes, it is a huge physical achievement and it’s absolutely inspiring to watch. But at its core, it is really about people. Their reasons, their stories, their setbacks, their motivation, and the people they carry with them to the start line.

For Aaron, that reason starts in his community and the whole David Astburys team are are incredibly proud of him for taking it on.

It reflects something we care deeply about. Being there for the people around us. Showing up when it matters. Doing what we can, where we can.

If you’d like to support Aaron’s London Marathon fundraising, you can donate here: Children with Cancer UK: Aaron Cox Fundraising Page