A month-long fundraising marathon will commemorate the 18th birthday of teenage photographer Liz Hatton, who passed away from cancer nine months ago.
The campaign, called Marathon Your Way In A Month, has been organised by her younger brother Mateo to raise funds for their charity Capture throughout August.
Participants can complete 26 miles during the month using any method they prefer, with Mateo planning to split his distance between swimming, cycling and running in a triathlon format.
The initiative honours the memory of the 17-year-old from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, who captured an investiture at Windsor Castle last October as part of her photography bucket list before privately meeting William and Catherine.
@princeandprincessofwales/Instagram
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The Prince and Princess of Wales met Liz Hatton in October 2024
The fundraising challenge has already attracted 60 participants from around the world, including one of Liz’s nurses from London and an American supporter who has committed to completing the distance on both sides of the Atlantic.
The campaign represents Capture’s first international fundraising initiative, with all proceeds directed towards research examining the palliative care needs of young cancer patients facing survival rates below 15 per cent.
The charity, established by Liz’s family, aims to improve end-of-life care for those diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumour, the rare and aggressive cancer that claimed the young photographer’s life.
Victoria Robayna, Liz’s mother, said her daughter “wouldn’t want us to sit crying” on what would have been her 18th birthday on August 31.
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The Princess of Wales with the Hatton family in May 2025.
Ms Robayna told the Telegraph: “We have two choices on Liz’s birthday, one is to sit and cry about what might have been what should have been.
“The other is to celebrate Liz, her incredible work and everything she stood for.
“We know which one Liz would have told us to do. And it definitely would not have been to sit crying.”
Ms Robayna added: “We knew we would find this month leading up to her birthday hard.
“Having something to focus on that gets us out there living just as Liz did will hopefully make it an easier month than it would otherwise have been.”
Kensington Palace
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The initiative honours the memory of the 17-year-old from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, who captured an investiture at Windsor Castle last October as part of her photography bucket list before privately meeting William and Catherine.
The marathon concept emerged from a suggestion by one of Capture’s trustees, with Ms Robayna noting that her daughter “always believed in people being able to express their individuality and this seemed like the perfect way to do it.”
Following her diagnosis in January 2024, when doctors gave her between six months and three years to live, Liz embarked on an ambitious photography bucket list.
She achieved her goals in her final months, capturing a West End production, directing a professional model shoot and staging her own exhibition.