Four Friends From Shanklin In London Marathon Mission For Young Lives Vs Cancer

Four friends from Shanklin are putting themselves through their paces to run the iconic London Marathon this April and raise funds for children and young people with cancer in the process.

Kit Maytum, 23, Connor King, 24, Callum Watkins, 24, and Bradley Lane-Williams, 24, will be taking on the iconic 26.2-mile course in London on Sunday, April 27 to raise money for Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people.

The quartet, who grew up together in Shanklin and went to the same schools, remain best friends to this day despite not all living on the Island now.

In September 2023, a tumour was found on Kit’s right lung, which resulted in him having surgery and losing about 25% of his lung capacity.

As of March 2025, Kit is a year cancer free.

Kit said:

“We are running the London marathon to raise as much money and awareness as possible for Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent) because it is an amazing charity which helps those whose lives are being affected by cancer.

"As a young person myself, to have something happen to me turned my life upside down.

"I think it's so important to help support charities like Young Lives vs Cancer which can help ease the burden for those suffering with cancer or families affected by it, especially those so early on in life which are seeing their childhoods ripped apart.”

Connor King added:

“The London Marathon holds a lot of importance not only for Kit but for all of us.

"It’s not often that you have to witness your best mate battle cancer, and to run and raise awareness for a great charity which helps countless young people across the country affected by this disease.

"We are fortunate enough to be able to run this marathon with Kit in the hope we can raise as much money as we can, knowing we may have helped someone else fight their battle.”

Every day, 12 more children and young people in the UK will hear the devastating news that they have cancer.

From the moment of diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers provide psychosocial support to children and young people with cancer and their families throughout treatment.

Most children and young people with cancer from the Island are treated at Southampton Hospital where the specialist social workers are based.

The charity also has Jean’s House, a home-from-home close by to Southampton Hospital, where families can stay together during treatment for free for as long as they need to.

Liz Blunt, Senior Fundraising Engagement Manager for the Isle of Wight at Young Lives vs Cancer, said:

“We cannot thank Kit, Bradley, Callum and Connor enough for their amazing efforts, taking on the challenge of a lifetime for Young Lives vs Cancer.

"For every blister they have encountered and all the running and training, we are in awe of their dedication and determination.

“From the moment of diagnosis, our specialist social workers provide day-to-day support for each child, young person and family, from guidance to financial support.

"Our charity relies on donations to fund our vital work, and so we’d love to see the community get behind a final push for Kit, Bradley, Callum and Connor’s fundraising. We cannot wait to cheer them on and Team Young Lives all the way to the finish line!” 

To sponsor any of the four, go to following links:

Kit

Bradley

Callum

Connor

For more information about Young Lives vs Cancer’s work, visit www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk