Power of Sport is a weekly podcast exploring how sport is changing lives and strengthening communities.
Hosted by Xavier Wiggins, the podcast goes beyond headlines to hear from the people doing the work on the ground - tackling issues like mental health, inclusion, inequality and opportunity through sport.
From grassroots programmes to national movements, Power of Sport gives space to honest stories, real challenges and the people using sport as a force for good.
🎙 New episodes drop each Thursday.
Ep 20: £87.5m Raised in One Day | Hamid Vaghefian, London Marathon Events
The 2026 London Marathon had a world-record 59,800+ finishers and raised £87.5 million for charity in a single day.
Hamid Vaghefian, Communities and DEI Director at London Marathon Events, joins Xavier Wiggins to talk about the second finish line that stays open until midnight, why the marathon is going two days in 2027, where the profits go, and how to make running look like the city it runs through.
GUEST
Hamid Vaghefian, Communities and DEI Director, London Marathon Events
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/hamidvaghefian
LONDON MARATHON EVENTS
Website: https://www.londonmarathonevents.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-london-marathon-ltd-/
POWER OF SPORT is made by Sport Local Action CIC
Website: https://sportlocalaction.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sport-local-action/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sport.local.action/
Power of Sport newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7423112333247512576/
WATCH
YouTube: https://youtu.be/QPq5C7hCC9E
LISTEN
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ClBttuINl5k3bArL0eIGG
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/power-of-sport/id1875386371
CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome Hamid Vaghefian, London Marathon Events
02:25 A record year: 59,800 finishers and £87.5m raised
04:56 The second finish line that closes at midnight
07:03 Why the London Marathon is going two days in 2027
09:19 Where the money goes: the Daily Mile and junior parkrun
12:40 Fancy dress, and Hamid's own first marathon
17:56 The Big Half, the UK's most diverse half marathon
22:06 Running with London, not through it
25:45 The power of sport: one runner inspires four more
#LondonMarathon #SportForGood #Running #PowerOfSport #Podcast
29 Sept 2026
Ep 19: David Duke MBE on Street Soccer, Lived Experience and Ending Homelessness
In this episode of Power of Sport, I'm joined by David Duke MBE, founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland and Street Soccer London.
David is an award-winning social entrepreneur using football to create real change in the lives of socially disadvantaged adults and young people across the UK and beyond. Most recently he set up Change Centre Scotland, a sport and education centre tackling isolation and homelessness and supporting mental health and wellbeing.
With lived experience of the challenges faced by the people his organisations support every day, David brings a rare perspective on how sport can be a genuine vehicle for social inclusion.
He works with governments, athletes, NGOs and businesses, is an Advisory Board Member for UNICEF (Scotland), and advises the AR26 Charity founded by Scotland captain Andy Robertson. He has spoken at TEDx, Beyond Sport Global Summit, COP26 and the Social Enterprise World Forum.
David was named The Sunday Times Change Maker of the Year and a CNN Hero in 2016, received an MBE for services to Football and Charity in 2018, and holds Honorary Doctorates from Glasgow Caledonian University and Queen Margaret University. In 2023 he became an Advocate for Homewards, HRH Prince William's project to end homelessness.
Hosted by Xavier Wiggins BEM, Founder of Sport Local Action.
Follow @PowerofSportPod
4 Sept 2026
How Being a Footballer Saved His Life in the Rwandan Genocide | Eric Murangwa MBE
In 1994, Eric Murangwa was a goalkeeper for Rayon Sports in Kigali when the genocide against the Tutsi began. Seven armed men broke into his home and started smashing it up. One of them found his photo album and among the family pictures were photos of Eric as a footballer for one of Rwanda's biggest clubs. The soldier recognised him. That recognition saved his life.He wasn't so lucky for everyone close to him. His younger brother and many friends were killed in the genocide, in which around a million people died in just 100 days.Three years later Eric left Rwanda, resettling first in Belgium then in the UK as an asylum seeker in 1997. He went on to found what's now the Ishami Foundation, combining storytelling and football to educate people on the genocide and why it should never have happened. He was awarded an MBE in 2017 for his work.This week on Power of Sport, Eric shares his story - survival, football, and what it takes to turn atrocity into education.
Listen to the full episode #PowerOfSport #RwandanGenocide #Football
Who has been a guest on Power of Sport
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
John Shiels
Henry May
Helgi Thor
Bergthor Bodvarsson
Niall Couper
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Questions about Power of Sport
Who hosts Power of Sport?
Xavier Wiggins host the show. Published by Power of Sport.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Power of Sport take guests?
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