Leeds man to take on the London Marathon to support 'life-changing' assistance dog charity

Chris Taylor from Allerton Bywater, will be one of more than 50,000 runners taking part in the 2026 London Marathon on April 26.

He is fundraising for Sheffield-based charity Support Dogs, which trains and provides specialist assistance dogs for children with autism and those living with epilepsy or a physical disability.

Chris and his wife Zoe are volunteer puppy socialisers, meaning they raise puppies for the first 14-18 months of their lives, before they go on to become support dogs.

Together, they raised Skye from a tiny pup until she was 17 months old, and Zoe previously raised another support dog named Peggy.

Both are now fully-fledged support dogs, working with children with autism across the country, while Chris and Zoe are now raising a new support dog named Albus.

Chris said: “I just want to help this amazing cause as every pound raised helps more puppies like Skye and Peggy go on to change someone’s life forever.

“Skye was with Zoe for about a week before I was introduced to her - she was just incredible.

“Handing her over to Support Dogs was one of the hardest things we’ve ever done but seeing the life-changing impact these dogs go on to have is what makes it all worth it.”

Preparing for the marathon, Chris has already raised £1,545 for the charity.

The businessman has been formally training for the London Marathon since the start of the year, by running throughout the week with distances ranging from 8km to 30km.

He also tackled the North York Moors Trail Run, his first-ever half-marathon, late last year and said “I’ve never done anything so hard in my life.”

However, he believes the London Marathon will be an even more difficult challenge.

“No doubt, the London Marathon will be even tougher but I’m looking forward to it, there will be lots of people running with me, lots of energy, lots of atmosphere and lots of music.” Chris said.

“My target finish time is four-and-a-half hours. If I can beat that, I’ll be the happiest person on Earth. If I finish, I’ll be really happy.”

Danny Anderson, head of fundraising at Support Dogs, said: “Without the epic efforts of people like Chris, we wouldn’t be able to help people affected by challenging medical conditions via the power of dogs.

“Good luck to Chris and all the other runners taking part in the London Marathon in aid of Support Dogs.”

To support Chris’ marathon challenge, donate to his online fundraising page.