Southport dads: 'Running for our girls has made us like brothers'

Southport dads: 'Running for our girls has made us like brothers'6 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleClaire RyanSouthportBBCSergio Aguiar and David Stancombe have forged a close bond through runningTwo dads whose daughters were killed in the Southport attack said running has brought them so close they have become "like brothers" as they prepare to run the London Marathon together. Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died alongside Bebe King, six, in July 2024 when they were attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop.Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe both ran last year's London Marathon separately in memory of their daughters Alice and Elsie - but this time they are running alongside each other.David said: "Last year we ran it as two dads, and this time around we're running it as two friends. We wanted to run it together because of how close we've got."Family handoutDavid and his daughter Elsie Sergio ran the London Marathon in 2025 to raise money for a new playground at Alice's school while David was running for the charity set up in his daughter's name, Elsie's Story. The pair said running had become a kind of therapy for them and a way to honour their daughters.Sergio told BBC Breakfast: "You have these kind of days you don't want to wake up and as soon as I go out running afterwards I feel much better so running for me has helped me a lot."David said: "I'm not running to get... faster. I'm just running to get better."Family handoutSergio says he thinks of Alice on every run he completesBy running together, they have forged a close friendship and are doing the 26.2 mile (42 km) race together this time around. Sergio said running alongside David was "very important" to him as he was "like a brother". David said: "I feel the same. I say the exact same."Sergio said together they would "help and su...