Family complete Cambridge Half Marathon to support Fund

On Sunday 8 March, Derwyn Hardwick, 55, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire, took on the Cambridge Half Marathon alongside his two sons, Scott and Sam, to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Derwyn’s connection to the RAF comes through his son Sam, who joined the RAF in November 2024 and is currently based at RAF Spadeadam. It was Sam who first suggested fundraising for the charity after learning more about the life-changing support the RAF Benevolent Fund provides to serving personnel, veterans and their families.

Derwyn, who has run several half marathons in the past, set himself a major personal challenge for 2026: completing a race with both his sons following his second hip replacement last May. He said: “After my hip replacement, I set myself a challenge: to complete a half marathon with my sons and to make sure none of us could back out, I registered us all for the Cambridge Half – so they had no choice but to join me!

“On race day, our only real goal was to get around the course. Time didn’t matter. But we stuck together, kept each other going, and all finished in under 2 hours 20 minutes.”

The trio decided to raise money for the Fund, a charity Sam knew well due to serving in the RAF. Derwyn explained: “While talking about the run beforehand, Sam mentioned the RAF Benevolent Fund. Once I looked into it myself, it was clear they’re a genuinely worthwhile charity and it felt like the right choice for us to support. It was also encouraging during the run to hear ex-RAF runners say it was a good cause.”

You can donate to the family’s JustGiving page here.