National Autistic Society: Kind-hearted runner raises over £7,000 across two London marathons for next year’s Charity of the Year

Francesca Glover completed last Sunday’s 26.2 mile course in under five hours, and has so far raised £3,247 for the National Autistic Society, which will be the marathon’s official Charity of the Year in 2027.

The 35-year-old took part in last year’s London Marathon where she raised £4,200 for the same charity, having been inspired by her friend Jess’ autistic daughter Mia.

She says their family struggled to get the support they needed for the now six-year-old.

“It made me think that if that is just her struggle, then how many other families have been affected by autism and have they not got the support they need,” said Francesca, who lived in Mirfield and attended Whitcliffe Mount school in Cleckheaton.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t know about autism or ADHD. The value of raising that money for this charity is that people can learn that it isn’t just one behaviour - it can look like so many different things.

“The charity will get awareness and they can carry on supporting the 700,000 families that are affected by autism. They use the money to give these families support who are dealing with a diagnosis where their life is changing because it doesn’t look like the way a typical life looks anymore. Their idea of family and future changes because of the diagnosis.”

She added: “You can still have this wonderful life, it just looks different, and the charity wants the world to be inclusive. It’s not hard to be inclusive.

“The world should be inclusive. You shouldn’t have to fight for people’s rights and have to fight to get them what they need. Children should not have to change to fit the world - the world should change to fit them.”

On her friendship with Jess and the “very special little girl” Mia, Francesca, who herself was diagnosed with ADHD in November 2025, said:

“Mia is so special, she has taught me so much about life, and I’m honoured to be a part of hers. Jess has taught me an incredible amount about life with autism and the struggles that come with it. She has always been incredibly grateful for me supporting but, for me, it’s what a friend does.

“It has opened up this world where so many other people in my life are actually on the spectrum and maybe they didn’t know about it before, but because of Jess and Mia, a lot of people’s views about autism and the autism spectrum have changed and made people more self-aware.

“And if that is what just one little girl can do, I can imagine what a charity can do with everybody’s money to make other people feel the same or change their views or become more accepting.”

The National Autistic Society has recently been revealed as the 2027 London Marathon official Charity of the Year, with plans to make it the world’s most inclusive mass participation event.

“It means they will get more spaces and more support, and it will be the most inclusive race ever,” Francesca said. “It is a brilliant time if you know somebody on the spectrum or if you are on it yourself, to put yourself forward to it.”

And the keen runner was left speechless with the amount of support she received from those lining the streets in the capital.

She said: “The support that you get is incredible. It is difficult to articulate unless you feel it and experience it. It is a very humbling experience to run a race with 60,000 others who have all got their own stories and are doing the same thing as you for a different reason.

“Every single person who lines that course is screaming for every single runner. It is absolutely wild.”

For more information on Francesca’s fundraising efforts and to donate, visit: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/francesca-glover?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=IwdGRzaARho71jbGNrBGGf4WV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHuWVecgf77mKGyquMQw4VGPfY-w08qy6d-2qRRSCNen6BCgcnHxh4oxsVZCa_aem_dLZi3R7d7thuk51U_YUEVA&utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1dennhb7onxd7

For more information about autism, visit: https://www.autism.org.uk/london-marathon/run-for-us