BSc Sports Therapy provide recovery care at London Marathon
Hero Carousel
Listen to this page
Published
29 April 2025
Share
BSc Sports Therapy students from the University of East London went to the
London Marathon to support runners with vital post-race massages and recovery support.
This past weekend on Sunday 27 April, a dedicated team of BSc Sports Therapy students from the University of East London went to the London Marathon to support runners with vital post-race massages and recovery support. The students volunteered their time and skills to assist two remarkable charities, Barnardo’s and Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK).
For UEL and Barnardo’s, this event marked a decade-long partnership rooted in a shared commitment to community, health and positive change. Over the past ten years, UEL students have consistently stepped up to support Barnardo’s marathon team, offering essential care after the grueling 26.2-mile challenge.
"This is a brilliant opportunity for our students to put their training into action in a real- world, high-pressure environment,” said Maria Goriup, Senior Lecturer in Sports Therapy at UEL. “But more than that, it’s a chance to support runners who are pushing themselves not just for personal goals, but for causes that really matter.”
Among the runners were hundreds raising funds for Barnardo’s, one of the UK’s leading children’s charities, and MDUK, which supports individuals living with muscle-wasting conditions.
Polly Debnam, Barnardo’s Event Fundraising Officer, said: “Our runners are all heroes and it’s so important that we celebrate their phenomenal achievement once they’ve crossed the finish line, and provide some much-needed post-race support.
We couldn’t do this without the fantastic skills of the many UEL students who so generously volunteer their time and expertise to give our runners a well-deserved massage!”
Preparation for the big day involved hands-on practice sessions, workshops on marathon recovery protocols, and coordination with charity teams to ensure everything runs smoothly. On race day, students were stationed at the charity’s recovery area, armed with massage tables, towels, and oils.
Head of Department for Sport, Caroline Doolan, shared, ‘’This is a great example of UEL’s commitment to having a positive impact on the communities we serve, whilst facilitating opportunities for hands-on experience for students to promote career-readiness.’’
UEL’s Sports Therapy students played a fantastic part in making the 2025 London Marathon an unforgettable weekend and another proud moment in the university’s long-running partnership with Barnardo’s.