Married couple complete New York Marathon in memory of murdered officers

7 December 2022

Leanne and Steve (top right) and the other runners supporting the Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund.

A pair of married cops who have successfully run their first marathon as a couple to raise money for the PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund say they would not have been able to get through the 26.2-mile route without each other.

Nottinghamshire Police Constables Leanne and Steve Read took to the streets of the Big Apple on Sunday 6 November to help mark 10 years since the deaths of officers Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone, who were tragically killed while on duty in Manchester in September 2012.

Despite the ‘horrific heat’, which saw the marathon runners hit with temperatures of 25 degrees, the pair - along with officers from 32 other forces - completed the route, raising a collective total of nearly £24,000.

“It was amazing, what an experience. The atmosphere was incredible, the crowds were insane. In fact, in that heat, it was the crowds that pulled us through,” said 39-year-old Leanne.

“Although we both have marathon experience, this was the first of its kind that we’d run together. I had a complete sense of humour failure towards the end, it was really challenging and I was feeling all of the emotions - I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without Steve.”

All the officers who were running for the cause were given a blue light escort to the start line by New York Police Department.

“Other than the blue light escort, a personal highlight for me was passing ‘Wrinkle The Duck’, a duck known for waddling the New York Marathon,” Leanne continued.

“I thought this would be my last marathon but we’re already planning the next one as a couple. As Bryn, Nicola’s dad, says though, ‘once you’re in marathon club, you can’t leave it’.”

The pair raised more than £1,000 between them for the charity, which was launched by Bryn and helps support families that have lost loved ones to violent crime.

“When Nicola and Fiona died, it sent shockwaves through the police family. We all go out and do our job, running the risk of something potentially happening but we never expect it,” added Leanne.

“When we heard about Nicola and Fiona, I think it makes you think that it could happen to me. It was so heartbreaking.”

Leanne and Steve, who both attended the funeral of Fiona, recalled how they ‘stood shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other police officers’, each there to honour and remember both officers.

“It was an absolute tragedy what happened to Nicola and Fiona but it seemed to bring all the police family from across the entire country, together. They say don’t they, that if you hurt one of us, you hurt all of us - and it was so true then.

“Knowing that we were running for Nicola and Fiona kept us going. The pain we felt on that day was nothing compared to what their families continue to feel.”

Leanne and Steve married in 2014, having met several years before when Leanne was a Special Constable and Steve a PCSO. 

Steve (45) added: “When we crossed that finish line, it was pitch black and to be honest, I felt a mixture of emotions. All we wanted to do was sit down but we were suddenly handed all these things, an apple, a medal and a poncho.

“But knowing we had done it, that was the main thing - and all of a sudden, you forget the back pain, the feet pain, all of the pain, that you had been feeling running.

“Running with Leanne, it’s definitely up there with one of our best memories and something we will never forget.”

Bryn also joined the duo, running the New York Marathon for the third time in his daughter’s memory.

“It means so much to me that these officers continue to come out and raise money for Nicola. I can’t really put it into words,” said Bryn, who celebrated his 59th birthday the day before the event.

“This year, Nicola’s sergeant ran with us. He was first on the scene when the incident happened so, as you can imagine, it was emotional and poignant for us when he crossed that finish line. 

“One of the most emotional bits for me is that everyone running for the charity has PC Nicola Hughes on their top, which meant people were cheering for Nicola. This is for her, to keep her legacy alive and to raise money in her honour.”

Wrinkle the duck.