Manor Park native to run London Marathon in honour of her father

Mallory Katz raising funds for MS Society prior to her journey in April

Hello Manor Park!

I’m Mallory, and I grew up in Manor Park, attending MPPS (class of 2012) and playing with just about every sports team along the way. I even had a stint as a contract receptionist in Grade 6 — a role I took very seriously. Recently, I got to coach the Junior NBA program at MPPS, which felt like a full-circle moment.

Manor Park has always felt like a place where people know each other, support each other, and genuinely care about what’s happening in the community. That sense of connection continues to support me and my family today.

On April 26, 2026, I’ll be running the London Marathon in support of the MS Society UK. I’m proud to be doing this in honour of my dad, Andrew, who has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for more than 40 years with incredible strength, resilience, and (thankfully) a good sense of humour.

This won’t be my first time running for the MS community. In 2024, I ran my first marathon during the 2024 Ottawa Race Weekend while fundraising for the MS Society of Canada. That experience showed me just how powerful community support can be, both on the course and off.

Fundraising goal

For the London Marathon, I’ve pledged to raise £2,500 for the MS Society UK. Every contribution, big or small, helps get me closer to that goal and supports vital research, resources, and services for families living with MS.

Multiple Sclerosis is a lifelong, unpredictable condition, affecting the brain and spinal cord by damaging the protective coating on nerves. It can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, vision problems, and challenges with movement, thinking, and sensation — often in ways that change from day to day.

More than 90,000 people in Canada, and close to 150,000 people in the UK, live with MS. While there is still no cure, organizations like the MS Society provide vital support services, advocate for people living with MS, and fund research aimed at improving treatments and, one day, ending the disease altogether.

Although the MS Society UK doesn’t directly serve Canadians, its mission and impact are deeply meaningful to families like mine. Running the London Marathon felt like a fitting way to contribute to that work while taking on a personal challenge (and a lot of cold, snowy long runs).

If you’d like to follow along, learn more, or support the fundraiser, you can visit:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mallory-kata?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Join in

I’d love anyone who wants to join in — on a run, or just for some encouragement — to come along. If you’re a runner, a walker, or just someone who enjoys fresh air and good company, I’ll be logging plenty of kilometers around the city leading up to race day. If you’d ever like to join me for part of a training run, cheer from the sidewalk, or share a coffee after, please feel free to reach out — the more the merrier.

Thank you, Manor Park, for being the kind of place that raises people to look out for one another. This run is personal for my family, but it’s also powered by the community that shaped me. 

Mallory Katz