‘Community is what it is all about’ – from Staffordshire to South London, Zack and his Mum march on together

Since 2016, the Palace for Life Foundation ‘Marathon March’ has seen 100s of fundraisers take on the 26.2-mile walk and help raise over half a million pounds for young South Londoners in the process.

The 10th anniversary edition of the Marathon March will take place on Saturday 3 October 2026 with the route passing through some of the South London neighbourhoods that sit at the heart of our work with the usual regular rest stops, encouragement and, of course, party at the end.

Staffordshire-based Palace fan Zack Hedgcombe has taken up the Marathon March challenge every year since 2022 – missing just one – with his motivation to participate inspired by family, his love for the club and giving back.

“My Mum (Sarah) says that her Dad was brought up on Walter’s Road, which is a stone’s throw from Selhurst Park, so she has been a Palace fan all her life,” explained the 22-year-old.

“My first Palace match was back in 2008 when I was five and we won 5-0 against Burnley at Selhurst Park. I’ve now had a season ticket for over 10 years, following Palace home and away throughout most of that time, so the club has a special place in both our hearts.

“Mum and I have always done charity work together over the years which has been very rewarding. I ran the London Marathon last year and Mum and I have completed many charitable walks including a couple for ‘Meningitis Now’, so we always wanted to do the March as the Palace for Life Foundation is an amazing, fantastic charity which means a lot to us as we have grown up in South London.

“We did our first Marathon March together in 2022 and we are now looking forward to the 10th edition, excited to see what the route will be.”

For Zack and his Mum, travelling down from Staffordshire to participate takes some planning ahead, but the rewards of fundraising to help a good cause has been complemented by reconnecting with the capital city and meeting some famous faces.

“We do it for fun and it’s a great thing to do together. We actually travel down the day before and stay in a hotel in Croydon, so we’re prepped and ready to go the next day and the day after the March we travel home,” he explains.

“The last few times I’ve done it my legs have felt alright, a bit achy obviously, not too bad, but we just love seeing the sights of South London, meeting new people along the way and having that sense of achievement.

“The scenery on the Marathon March routes over the years has been fantastic,” he adds. “On our first walk together, Mum and I ended up walking with former Palace striker Andy Johnson along the Thames. We were talking about being Palace fans, why we do the March and things like that.”

Despite living some distance from South London, the annual Marathon March keep Zack’s connection to his club and roots down south strong and multilayered.

“What’s great about the Marathon March and the Palace for Life Foundation is that it’s all about the local community and that’s what Crystal Palace is all about: it’s a community club,” he says.

“As a smaller charity, Palace for Life needs people’s support and we publicise our fundraising on social media and spread the word to friends and family.

“It can be difficult as we live in Staffordshire, but people still donate because it helps a fantastic charity with so many great projects and initiatives like the DS Eagles, Academy, supporting local schools and helping less fortunate families over the Christmas period.

“It’s just such an amazing cause for a fantastic club. I’m always eager to do things for them and maybe one year I will run the London Marathon for them.”

For more information on the 2026 Marathon March or to sign up please contact the fundraising team on fundraising@palaceforlife.org or visit here: https://www.palaceforlife.org/support-us/fundraising/marathon-march/