Kieran Hibbert

#RunningforAnnie - Royal Parks Half Marathon 2026

In honour of my grandma, Angela “Annie” Hinds, who left us in September 2024, I’ll be joining #TeamStroke for the Royal Parks Half Marathon on October 11th.

I stayed with my grandma nearly every weekend throughout my childhood. Her home was a space where I learnt, relaxed, played and laughed. It was a space where I grew up.

Grandma Angela had a special way of accommodating. She let me eat what I wanted, good or bad, stay up later than i should have, and, most importantly, kick a football around the house as long as it stayed below knee height.

We watched shows together, listened to the radio together and spoke about life together. We had a special kind of grandson and grandma bond. As she would always say to all the family and her friends, I was her only grandchild.

She was my biggest cheerleader. She always reminded me not only to keep going, but also to remember how well I was doing, and that she was proud.

She listened, not just to me, but to everyone who knew her. She cared about people and had a way of making everyone feel welcome. Through her work, her family and her friendships, she was a light in her community. She made people’s lives that bit brighter, sometimes just through a conversation.

So when I run on 11 October, it won’t be for me. I’ll be running in memory of her, for everything she did, everything she was, and all the ways she touched the lives of the people who knew and loved her.