Marathon
Tuesday, 14th April, 2026
An emergency responder at London Ambulance Service has completed his third London Landmarks Half Marathon to raise vital funds for charity.
For the third year running, Chris Newman finished the 13-mile race through the City of London and Westminster in full uniform and carrying his 13kg response bag – packed with a small defibrillator, oxygen cylinder and other life-saving equipment.
The response bag even had a QR code on it so people could donate to London Ambulance Charity as he raced through the city.
He has raised over £1,300 so far out of his £5,000 target via his JustGiving page.
Chris, 63, who works out of Isleworth Ambulance Station and lives in Putney, said:
“As a volunteer, I see what our incredible clinicians and call handlers do every day.
“They are so compassionate but it can be a tough job – I just want to play a small part in raising funds for London Ambulance Charity to help with their wellbeing and training communities in life-saving skills.”
Emergency responders (ERs) are London Ambulance Service-trained volunteers who attend a range of emergency calls in Service uniform and in blue-light response cars.
Now celebrating their 15th year, ERs operate in vehicles funded by the London Ambulance Charity and work under London Ambulance Service management and policies.
Chris has been an emergency responder for 12 years and has volunteered nearly 5,000 hours caring for patients across the capital.
He added:
“I train every day – whether that’s running, swimming, or riding a bike. I even hike up mountains with the response bag, which is great for cardio and legs.
“I’ve also ran 10 miles around Richmond Park carrying the bag.
“The atmosphere for the Half Marathon is incredible – it’s like a party and the crowd is just wonderful.
“People think the response bag is empty and they’re surprised when they pick it up.
“Last year, I stopped two or three times to help other runners who had tripped or fallen over as I have a full kit and your sense of duty never stops.”
Steve Pyne, First Responder Manager at London Ambulance Service, said:
“We’re incredibly proud of Chris for completing the Half Marathon in three hours and his efforts to raise funds for our crews.
“His stamina is an inspiration to us all and we admire his compassion and dedication to the people of London.
“I’d also like to thank everyone who raised funds for our Charity at the Half Marathon. They raised an impressive £11,500 in total!”
The Service has nearly 80 volunteers in our Emergency Responder team from a range of background including pilots, medical students, serving members of the armed forces, accountants, entrepreneurs and police officers.
They run out of Waterloo, St Helier, Bromley, Ilford, Forest Hill, Barnet, Pinner, Isleworth, Hillington and Friern Barnet.
In the 2025/26 financial year they did over 13,500 volunteer hours responding to emergency calls across the capital.
Help us raise money for frontline crews and local communities by joining London Ambulance Charity’s Dragon Boat Race this summer. Sign up on our dedicated Charity website here.
