THE MIDNIGHT MARATHON THAT IS REDEFINING WHAT A RUNNING EVENT CAN BE

Flawed Hero® Marathon returns to Letchworth Garden City on 24–25 April 2027 — a midnight marathon built around community, coaching and charitable impact

In a running landscape dominated by ballot rejections, mass-participation races and unsupported charity runners, Flawed Hero® is doing something fundamentally different. It is a midnight marathon that has already delivered an 8% dropout rate in its first year — against an industry average of 20 to 30% — raised tens of thousands for charity, and left 87% of participants wanting to come back. For 2027, it is getting bigger.

The Event

The Flawed Hero® Marathon is not a traditional race. It starts at midnight, loops through the streets of Letchworth Garden City, and finishes before dawn. There are no elites, no cutoff times and no pressure to perform. What there is is a community of people who show up, support each other through the night, and cross a finish line they genuinely did not know they could reach.

The 2027 event takes place across the full weekend of 23 to 25 April, with 300 participants, a Youth Activation on the Friday evening, a Broadway Gardens community festival on the Saturday, and a finishers breakfast on the Sunday morning. This is not just a marathon. It is a three-day community event in the heart of Letchworth.

The Movement Story

Flawed Hero® was founded by Phil Roberton — Nike Well Collective coach, keynote speaker and someone who has spent 20 years around the London Marathon and 17 years directly supporting charity runners. He created the event because he believed that the running industry was failing ordinary people.

“Most charity marathon programmes focus on sign-ups. The hard part comes after. Runners lose momentum, injuries happen, confidence drops and fundraising stalls. Dropout rates of 20 to 30% are accepted as normal. I don’t accept that.”

The answer is PreFormance® — a structured six to eight month support system that wraps around every participant from the moment they sign up. Weekly coaching Zooms, an online physio clinic, a WhatsApp community, fundraising guidance and milestone rewards. The system that delivered 8% dropout in year one.

The Human Impact

The numbers tell one story. The people tell another.

“Belonging, hardship and running the last lap with my son at 0315hrs — he was wearing his prostate cancer UK top with dad on it. Life changing.”
— 2026 Participant

“You’ll NEVER feel more supported in anything else you do than the Flawed Hero® Marathon.”
— 2026 Participant

“My cancer took a lot of my confidence from me. Running between 16 and 22 miles I realised I have got the skills to do my job, be a dad and a husband. I regained my confidence that I can succeed in life.”
— 2026 Participant

The Charitable Impact

Every Flawed Hero® participant raises funds for a charity of their choice. There is no obligation to support a specific organisation. The fundraising belongs to them. The PreFormance® system keeps fundraising active throughout the six to eight month journey, not just in the final weeks when panic typically sets in.

The 2027 event has a projected fundraising target of £250,000 including Gift Aid, across public, charity and corporate participants. GiveWheel is the official fundraising platform — a founder-led platform built around community fundraising and shared impact.

The Flawed Hero® Marathon has redefined what it means to run 26.2 miles — raising tens of thousands of pounds while showing that true inclusivity is about opening the finish line to everyone. What Phil and the team have built is nothing short of extraordinary.”
— John Coventry, Senior VP International, GoFundMe

2027 — Bigger, Bolder, Better

For 2027, Flawed Hero® is growing to 300 participants and expanding to a full three-day community festival. New elements include a Friday evening Youth Activation — a 3km event through the heart of Letchworth in partnership with local charity GRIT (Growing Resilience in Teens) — and a Saturday Broadway Gardens activation featuring a padel court, food stalls and community programming.

Corporate teams from Vodafone and Morrisons participated in 2026. For 2027, corporate team packages are open, charity partner places are available and public entry is now live.

Event Details — Flawed Hero® Marathon 2027

Date: 23–25 April 2027 (full weekend)
Location: Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire
Start time: Midnight, 24–25 April 2027
Distance: 26.2 miles (marathon)
Participants: 300
Entry: Public from £159 · Charity packages from £205 per place · Corporate from £2,500
Fundraising: All participants fundraise for a charity of their choice
Fundraising platform: GiveWheel — givewheel.com/e/flawed-hero
Website: TheFlawedHero.com
Instagram: @FlawedHeroMovement

Check out the Flawed Hero® RIA Member profile here  .