Running with purpose: TCS London Marathon runner Jamie Ounan Q&A
In2scienceUK Trustee Jamie Ounan speaks with us in the run-up (pardon the pun!) to taking on the TCS London Marathon on 26 April 2026. In this Q&A, Jamie shares what inspired him to tackle the 26.2-mile challenge and why he’s proud to be fundraising for In2scienceUK. You can support Jamie’s marathon journey by donating via his official fundraising page.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your connection with In2scienceUK?
My name is Jamie Ounan and I’m a Trustee of In2scienceUK and current Chair of the Development Sub-Committee. I was the first generation in my family to go to university, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of my parents. I can’t say my teachers were as encouraging – they were rather surprised when I came top of my year for GCSEs and went to university! I want to encourage young people to follow their aspirations and get involved with positive schemes like In2scienceUK.
Since my BSc, I’ve worked in city regeneration all my life and at its core is social mobility, through the renewal of city neighbourhoods with better homes, job opportunities and community pride. I agree with the phrase “talent is everywhere but opportunity is not”; my work has always sought to help bridge that gap to opportunities in the same way that people did for me. I’ve tried to do that personally and systematically through the work of my company, Inner Circle Consulting.
Why do you think running the TCS London Marathon for In2scienceUK is important?
The marathon is an opportunity to raise the profile of the brilliant In2scienceUK on a national and global stage – 800,000 folk will be cheering on the sidelines and it is broadcast in nearly 200 countries. It can help the charity boost volunteering. If people are aware of In2scienceUK and their work improving access to STEM, this could inspire them to give back to their local communities and support the next generation of STEM leaders. I also want to help them raise money in a very direct way. This is a small step – it’s action over talking and leading by example.
What do you hope to achieve by running for In2scienceUK?
As a minimum, I’m aiming to raise £2,000 to help support the amazing work that In2scienceUK does. This money will enable young people to participate in the In2STEM programme, giving them a life-changing, in-person STEM placement over the summer as well as access to interactive online workshops and careers panels led by STEM professionals from across the UK.
It will also help fund In2scienceUK’s ongoing alumni support offering, which makes sure that participants continue to receive opportunities even after they have completed the programme, and helps them build the skills, confidence and valuable connections they need to move forward in their STEM education and careers.
Every pound donated will help talented young people gain key opportunities to secure the STEM job they hope for. And I bet they’ll change the world for us all!
I’m running with a smile on my face, knowing the impact of their work.
What part of the TCS London Marathon are you most looking forward to?
It’s new to me so I’m not sure quite what to expect. The crowds look amazing. I love the spectacle of runners and costumes. I’m looking forward to running in a costume – STEM-related costume ideas are welcome!
What are you doing to prepare for the race?
A lot of running! A lot of stretching! Filming some videos of our journey to help promote the work of In2scienceUK. I’m running with a smile on my face, knowing the impact of their work. I’m enjoying eating twice as much as I normally can – you’ve got to keep well fuelled, right?
Do you have any tips for others interested in fundraising for In2scienceUK?
We are trying to encourage more people to raise money for In2scienceUK through fundraising events like races, but also through small, fun events like bake sales – they may be small, but they get people talking about STEM and social mobility in a positive light. The wonderful team has developed a fundraising pack to support everyone’s fundraising journeys. I’ll certainly be making and eating cakes to fuel the training!
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
