For the past few years it was six-year-old Olivia Finch who counted the runners down at the start of the Richard Burton 10K. Olivia died in April, and on Sunday morning her big sister Megan will do it for her.
Around 3,500 runners are expected on the start line in Cwmafan, 500 more than last year, with 700 children in the Mini Miler. Many of them will be running as Team Olivia.
Olivia, from Bryn, was two when she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. In the years that followed, people across Port Talbot and beyond rallied round her parents Kelly and Nick, raising money towards clinical trials.
In 2024 she was turned into a fairy princess superhero for the Superhero 5K in Cardiff, with her family and friends running as Finch Force.
Her mum Kelly said: “Through Olivia’s illness we very quickly learnt that the Richard Burton 10k was so much more than a road race.”
She had run the race before Olivia was diagnosed, she said, without realising how much it gave back. The organisers had been through hospital stays with a sick child of their own, she said, and wanted to help get Olivia the best treatment “and make memories along the way”.
She added: “I will look forward to running past Olivia’s corner on race day and feeling the love pour out for our very precious Olivia. I know how much she enjoyed this event and starting the countdown, so the first one without her will be painful.”
Olivia’s corner, in pink
That corner is at Cwmafan Primary School, where a spot dedicated to Olivia is being decorated in her favourite colour. Many of her teachers and classmates are running the Mini Miler or the 10K.
Megan and her classmates are making Olivia bracelets, as they did for her funeral. The money goes to the Noah’s Ark Charity, which supports the children’s hospital in Cardiff where Olivia was treated.
Megan has already raised £637 for the charity at this year’s Superhero 5K. On Sunday she will be named one of its youth ambassadors, at the start of what is Bereaved Siblings Awareness Month.
‘This year feels particularly special’
Anna Tobin, the race director, said the Richard Burton 10K had been part of the community for 43 years “but it’s always been about much more than running”.
She said: “We first became aware of Olivia and her family around three years ago. This is a close-knit community, and people really get behind the race every year, but this year feels particularly special.”
She added: “To see Olivia’s classmates, teachers, friends and so many runners coming together to support Megan and her family is incredibly moving.”
The race has given around £30,000 to local groups, individuals and families over the years, Tobin said.
The 10K and the Mini Miler run on Sunday 1 November, sponsored by Tata Steel and Runtech. Richard Burton’s granddaughter Charlotte is due to attend.
The Noah’s Ark Charity says it funds equipment, family support and services over and above what the NHS provides for the 90,000 children cared for each year at Wales’ only children’s hospital.
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