Adhnan’s marathon effort for children’s cancer charity
20 March 2026
Charity fundraiser Adhnan Afzal.
A bucket list entry is set to be struck off when a Wolverhampton chief inspector crosses the finish line at next month’s London Marathon.
With a love of travel, Chief Inspector Adhnan Afzal has already completed half marathons in Marrakech, Istanbul, Barcelona, Milan and Madrid and says that the best way to see a city is to run through it.
Training for the longer distance, however, has not been without its difficulties, and he says it has been particularly hard during Ramadan, as his body has been depleted and his runs have been at night.
Challenge
Adhnan, who has been with the Force for 22 years and is a proactive crime manager, has only been running for around two years and generally completes one 5k and one 10k run each week.
But he admits it’s not something he really enjoys: “It’s the only sport I have done that wants me to stop every few steps. But it’s a challenge and good for longevity and wellbeing. I have always been an active person, having played football for 20 years and tried boxing, MMA, cricket and now running.”
He is following the Ben Parkes 18-week plan, which involves twice weekly runs and one strength session, and signed up for the London Marathon on Sunday 26 April as it was a bucket list run but also because he wanted to raise money for the Children’s Cancer Trust.
“It’s a great cause,” he said, “No matter how hard my run will be, the courage, resilience and determination of children suffering with cancer is inspiring and whether it’s next month, in the next year or the next decade, we will defeat cancer.
“The 26.2 miles is going to be a challenge. I have never run this distance before so I will be in unfamiliar territory. But I am determined to go the distance.
“Just completing the marathon this time at around the five-hour mark would be nice. I have no illusions of a sub-three hours time.”
Reward
Hoping to raise around £2,200 for the charity, Adhnan is looking forward to the end of the marathon and has already got his own reward in sight.
“The highlight for me will be a bag of fish, chips and mushy peas and a tub of Ben and Jerry’s,” he said.
Children with Cancer UK has partnered with the West Midlands Association of Muslim Police (AMP) to raise money through this year's Ramadan Experience.
Adhnan is the community lead for the Force’s AMP which has supported the Ramadan Experience, a national initiative that aims to raise awareness of Ramadan by non-Muslims experiencing fasting for a day.
The initiative has grown over several years and has been embraced by both public and private sector businesses.
West Midlands Police AMP held its community Iftar, incorporating the Ramadan Experience, at Tally Ho training centre earlier this month and raised £5,600 which will be split between Children with Cancer UK and Islamic Help.
