He ain’t heavy… he’s my brother! Doctor Emma to run the London Marathon with brother Richard
Published on: 02/03/2026
The road is long, with many a winding turn…
The most accurate description of the 26-miles of the London Marathon that lies ahead for Dr Emma Longford, which will raise funds for her/our/your cherished hospice on Sunday 26th April this year.
Because, Emma is delighted that big brother, Richard, will be alongside her, at the start at least, while husband Dave and children, Elliott and Celia, will be cheering on from the side lines.
“Richard is my absolute hero and I’m expecting him to run at a slightly faster pace than me, so we’ll make a pact to meet at the finish.”
It has to be noted that this is Emma’s latest feat of endurance as she does have a number of gruelling events over the years already under her belt.
You might have even seen her from time to time, cycling, swimming and running around the Wirral in preparation for whatever next stamina testing challenge lies ahead.
Emma is the hospice’s medical director having originally worked here in 2008 as a junior doctor while training.
Emma before Great North Run
She lived in Arrowe Park doctors’ residences, she’s from down south you see, but knew after qualifying and spending some time in other fields, she would choose palliative medicine as a speciality.
She explained what it means to her,
“I feel so lucky to have such an amazing job.
It’s a privilege to work alongside people who are facing the most challenging time of their lives. I get the opportunity to get to know my patients and their closest family members and to hear about what is important to them.
We always say that the hospice is about living. It is the aim of everyone here so make things as good as we can for our patients so that each day is lived to the fullest.
The hospice is a family. We’ve all been in the position of losing close loved ones and we owe it to everyone who comes through our doors to treat them with the respect and dignity that we expect for our own relatives and friends.”
Absolutely!
Dr Emma’s now a consultant in palliative medicine and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. She’s one of the driving forces of the Wirral Palliative Care Education Hub, which brings together, for ongoing learning, professionals from the hospice alongside Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Wirral University Teaching Hospital, who also provide palliative care for people over 18, and Claire House Children’s Hospice.
Back to sport. Emma has all the right genes. Dad, John, was a rower and mum, Sue, plays tennis. Older brother Richard is also obviously built for athletic pursuits.
Husband Dave is a bit of a keen runner too and has been known to brave freezing open water swimming with Emma from time to time. He coaches junior rugby at Wirral club, Old Parkonians, where their son Elliott will soon graduate to under 16’s while, daughter, Celia, 10, is currently being coached at football club Crewe Alexandra. Wow!
Last year Emma, with hospice nurses and colleagues, Anita and Ceri, completed a bike-run-bike, triathlon. After completing the Great North Run, in 2019, for the hospice she then jointly organised a Race Around Wirral relay event with some colleagues and friends, complete with socially distanced, (remember that), handovers.
Emma’s fully aware of the challenge facing her and Richard as she has, a little while back now, run both London AND New York marathons before. Stories for another day!
What we know for sure is that the road with many a winding turn IS long but, it doesn’t lead from who knows where, who knows when?
It actually starts in Greenwich Park and finishes at The Mall near Buckingham Palace, on Sunday 26th April.
Everyone at the hospice wishes you and brother, Richard, all the very best, Emma.
Run like the wind!
If you’d like to make a kind donation to the hospice in recognition of Dr Emma’s London Marathon effort her just giving page is at justgiving.com/page/emma-longford-4
Also, our very grateful thanks go to (another) Emma, to Lian and to Mike also taking on the 2026 London marathon for us. Their ‘post-marathon’ stories to follow later in the year.
If you’d like to make a kind donation to the hospice to support Dr Emma’s London Marathon effort her Just Giving page is at,
