Physio students help fund-raising London Marathon runners recover

The student volunteers included a group of 19 students from the University of Hertfordshire BSc and pre-registration MSc Physiotherapy programmes, who had volunteered to be on hand to deliver post-event massages to some of the 350 runners who had signed up to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society.

Sue Roscoe, physiotherapy practice team lead at the University of Hertfordshire, said: ‘Although the university physiotherapy programme has been involved with the MS Society for 15 years, for many of the students this was the first time they had been involved in an extra-curricular event (since the pandemic) and so it was particularly exciting.

‘The students were able to combine their massage activity with periods of watching the runners and cheering them on from the great location of the MS Society after-race party venue on Great George Street, at the Institute of Civil Engineers.’

Raising money for services and research into MS

The MS Society are hoping this year’s London Marathon will help raise at least £800,000, which will be used to fund research, fund support services, provide specialised MS nurses and manage support their forums.

One of the runners who received some post-marathon treatment from the physio students said: ‘My feet are so thankful to you!’. While another exclaimed:

I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to have a massage after running this race and the students were so lovely showing such interest in me and my story

‘It was another great opportunity and privilege for students and academic staff to work together for such special runners and at such a prestigious event,’ Sue said.

We are particularly impressed with our students as many of them will have been starting the first day of their placement the following day and so will have had to then travel to their placement sites after the Marathon had finished in readiness for their placements. We really appreciate their dedication to this cause

‘Plans are underway already for University of Hertfordshire physio students to attend the next London Marathon in April 2024 and to continue our relationship with the MS Society.