Refuge Chair to run London Marathon honouring every woman killed in 2025

Refuge’s Wiltshire-based Chair of Trustees, Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE, will take on the London Marathon 2026, paying tribute to all the women killed by men in the UK last year. 

On average, one woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner every five days in England and Wales. To highlight this tragic reality, Hetti will run the London Marathon in aid of Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity, wearing a bespoke cape decorated with butterflies – one for every woman killed by a man in the UK in 2025.  

Having been an influential advocate in the violence against women and girls (VAWG) space for decades, Hetti’s marathon plans are the latest example of her solidarity with survivors and the vital services they depend on. 

Reflecting on her motivation, she said: “The reason I got involved with campaigning around domestic abuse was because my lovely close friend Jo Simpson was killed by her partner in 2010. As a result, I have seen first-hand the devastating consequences of men’s violence against women, and the lifelong impact it has on families and communities. 

“As I’m turning 60 next year, I thought it would be amazing to enter this new decade having checked a marathon off my bucket list, but I didn’t want to put in all this effort without using it to make a real difference and generating maximum impact. 

“One thing that strikes me repeatedly is that people simply aren’t aware of the shocking number of women who are being killed each year. I think that running the London Marathon could be a powerful way to force this reality into public view, and to reach people who might not otherwise engage with conversations about VAWG.” 

The decision to wear a cape, rather than a standard running top, was deliberate. Hetti wanted something impactful that would convey the scale of the crisis:  

“I wanted something visually striking – everyone wears a T-shirt, but something this meaningful needs to have so much more impact. I started my training at the end of November knowing there were some women still alive who would be represented on my cape – and that was almost unbearable to comprehend. 

“The tragic reality is that the numbers are staggering – far too many to represent on a T-shirt, which really underscores the devastating scale of this issue.” 

As well as boosting public awareness, Hetti is also hoping her run will raise vital funds for Refuge at a critical time for frontline services: 

“Running the London Marathon with this cape is an incredible chance to spotlight Refuge and raise as much for the charity as possible at a time when frontline services are dangerously underfunded. 

“Lifesaving services like Refuge simply do not have the resources they need to meet demand, so this is a critical time for fundraising – made even more acute by the recently published VAWG Strategy, which ultimately fails to deliver any meaningful new funding for frontline services.”