Inspire 2026 - Callum
“[This will be] a chance for us to celebrate Leo and the strength he has given my wife and me, and to thank every person who has shown us their love and supported the cause.”
Dad who turned to running after losing baby son to take on first half marathon with three best friends by his side.
Almost a year after losing his baby boy, Callum Price from Newcastle upon-Tyne will line up at the start of the Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday 11th October 2026, alongside his three best friends, running 13.1 miles in memory of his son, Leo.
Callum and his wife, Natalie, have been together since high school, sharing 16 years of life before facing an unimaginable loss. At 33 weeks pregnant, they learned that their baby boy, Leo Thomas, had severe brain anomalies. In the weeks after losing their son, Callum says they were “simply frozen”. “We didn’t want to leave the sofa, never mind the house.”
But as time passed, Callum began running as a way of coping with his grief and looking after his mental health. Now, Callum is swapping, “pints for running on pavements” as he prepares to take on his first ever half marathon at the Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon in October.
“I needed a release and a distraction, and a way to remember what it was like to be a fully functioning person again,” he says. “Running forced me to get out, burn off some energy and clear my head.”
And he will not be doing it alone. The moment Callum mentioned taking on the challenge, his three best friends, and groomsmen, Matty, Olly and Ethan, immediately decided they would run alongside him. The four friends will take on the 13.1 miles in memory of Leo and to raise money for Sands, the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity, which has supported Callum and Natalie through their grief.
“I hadn't even asked them to,” says Callum. “I tried to tell them they didn't have to, but they wouldn't hear it. They wanted to be there with me the whole way.”
What began as a personal challenge has already inspired an extraordinary response, with Callum already raising more than £6,000, almost five times his original fundraising target.
“We have been genuinely shocked by the outpouring of support and love for Leo and for the cause,” says Callum. “Perhaps the best part has been people knowing Leo's name. Not just those closest to us, but wider friends and colleagues too. It is lovely that this has helped make him even a small part of other people's lives.”
“One of the things Natalie and I have always said is that Leo created love,” Callum says. “None of this would have happened without him. This money wouldn't have been raised, and we wouldn't have had so many loving and caring interactions with people, from our closest friends and family to complete strangers. He had a real impact on the world, bringing my wife and me closer together with so many people who have shown us support and love. That means everything.” For Callum and Natalie, that is perhaps Leo's greatest legacy.
Raising money for Sands is also a way of supporting other families facing pregnancy and baby loss. Callum says the charity's work is deeply personal to him and Natalie, particularly its support for bereaved parents, training for healthcare professionals and research. Callum has also found support through Sands United FC, which brings bereaved fathers together through football.
“During the process we went through with Leo, we got to the very edge of medical understanding,” he explains. “We are still left with unanswered questions, so helping to fund research is a big motivator for me.”
When he reaches the finish line, alongside the friends who refused to let him take on the challenge alone, Callum hopes it will be a chance to celebrate the little boy behind every mile.
“If I reach the finish line!” he laughs. “I hope it will be a brilliant moment, a chance for us to celebrate Leo and the strength he has given my wife and me, and to thank every person who has shown us their love and supported the cause.”
And when asked what he would most want people to know about his son, Callum's answer is simple. “That he was perfect.”
To support Callum in raising money for Sands in memory of his son, Leo Thomas please visit his fundraising page:
