Sylvain Guintoli takes on the London Marathon in memory of his son, Luca
The World Superbike and MotoGP legend, Sylvain Guintoli, will be running the London Marathon in race leathers in memory of his late son, Luca.
Legends of two-wheeled motorsport don’t come much bigger than Sylvain Guintoli. And almost as his feats in World Superbike, BSB, MotoGP and World Endurance weren’t enough, next year he’ll be running the London Marathon wearing a full set of racing leathers.
He’s taking up the challenge in memory of his son, Luca, who tragically passed away this summer following a nearly year-long battle with cancer. Joining the Midlands-based Frenchman at the start line will be his daughters, Alicia and Layla, with the three of them running in solidarity to raise money for the children’s cancer charities, PASIC and Young Lives vs Cancer.
Speaking to Crash.net about the challenge, Guintoli said:
“When Luca was diagnosed, everything changed for us … There are some incredible charities supporting children with cancer and their families, and PASIC were there for us from the start. They’re still helping us now.
“You don’t really see the scale of what these charities do until you need them. Their support has been huge.”
Guintoli contested in five MotoGP seasons, either as a full-time or part-time pilot. He rode Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki machinery, although it was the 2014 World Superbike championship he is best remembered for, after scooping the championship riding for Aprilia.
Per Crash.net, Guintoli explained that it wasn’t wholly his idea to take part in the event, and it was, in fact, down to his daughters wanting to run by themselves.
“Originally, there were only two places and Alicia, who is 20, and Layla, who turns 18 just before the marathon, immediately wanted to run it for Luca. They wanted to raise money for PASIC and Young Lives vs Cancer, who have been brilliant.
“Then PASIC came back and said, ‘We’ve got another place if you want it.’ I’ve never run a marathon - I normally cycle more for training - but it’s a fantastic cause, so I jumped at the chance.”
Sylvain has set himself a £10,000 fundraising target, although after only a couple of days of campaigning, he’s already at 75 per cent of that (around £7,500 at the time of writing).
If you would like to donate to the cause, the full fundraising page can be found at the link below:
https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/sylvain-guintoli
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
