Steve Court is running the London Landmarks Half Marathon to raise money for Police Children’s Fund and thank the charity for supporting his family when he was medically retired from the police.
Steve was an officer with Hampshire Police for 17 years, most recently as a Detective Inspector. But in July 2023, he was medically retired due to complex PTSD.
He recalled: “When I was leaving the force, one of the Hampshire Police Federation Reps said it was worth having a chat to Police Children’s Fund to see if they could provide any support. He knew we were going through difficult times when I was leaving, and it was to make sure the kids were being looked after.
“I put an application in and the Fund was amazingly helpful. It was really, really difficult for that short period of time, and they were so incredibly helpful, generous and supportive. It’s only when you need these charities that you realise how important they are.
“There was a period of time where my pension hadn’t quite kicked in, the Injury on Duty award hadn’t come through, and it meant that I was able to provide stuff for my three kids.”
Since leaving the police, Steve has started running, which he finds therapeutic and great for his mental health. He wanted a bigger challenge, so he signed up to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon, which takes place on 12 April 2026, weaving around Westminster and the City of London.
He said: “I wanted to give something back and to provide some support to the Police Children’s Fund, because they were just so amazing at a really low point in my life. And I just thought that running and charity work went hand in hand.”
Steve has never run a half marathon before, although he ran the Great South Run last year – it was cancelled due to bad weather, but he and a friend ran the course another day and he can be seen in his photo wearing a medal made by his proud children.
He said: “I thought the London Landmarks Half Marathon was a nice step up and a bit of a challenge for me. The idea of having sponsors behind me and raising money for charity gives me that extra push as well. It will really help on those cold, dark, wet days, when I have no motivation!
“So far, I’ve been going out most weeks doing some running and I’m up to the seven mile mark at the moment. I just want to maintain that and slowly build on it over the winter.
“My head’s always so much clearer after going out. I have some really dark days, and my wife is very good at saying, ‘Perhaps you need to go for a run’. It’s often the thing that I do need because it does give me a little bit of respite, a bit of clarity. The endorphins make you feel great afterwards too.”
Steve is looking forward to the atmosphere on the day of the race: “To be part of that, and have lots of other runners around, it’s not something I’ve experienced before. It’s the first time I’ve ever done a half marathon, and however I do, as long as I finish it, it’ll be great.”
To sponsor Steve and help raise money for Police Children’s Fund, visit www.justgiving.com/page/stephen-court-1