Ripley Castle became a sea of pink on recently as thousands of women joined together at Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.
- Over 3,400 mums, grans, daughters, sisters, aunts, workmates and friends united
- with one mission in mind – to beat cancer sooner.
Now organisers of the 5k and Pretty Muddy events are sending a heart-felt message of thanks to everyone who took part and all their supporters.
And they’re asking them to make every step count by paying in their sponsorship money as soon as possible so that it can be used to fund pioneering research.
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco for the last 15 years, is an inspiring women-only series of 5k, 10k and Pretty Muddy, Marathon and Hiking events.
Last year, Race for Life in Harrogate raised an incredible £116,055 for Cancer Research UK. This year, the charity hopes the 3,500 who have entered will collectively hit a fundraising target of £195,000.
Georgina Thornton, Race for Life event manager for Harrogate, said:
We are so greatful to everyone who took part in Race for Life, and their supporters, as well as our heroic volunteers.
It was a fantastic weekend, full of emotion, courage, tears and laughter as thousands of women joined forces to conquer cancer.
Now I’m asking everyone who took part – and all the friends, family and colleagues who pledged to sponsor them – to transform their passion into progress by returning the money they’ve raised as soon as possible.
Many people don’t realise that their entry fee only covers the cost of the event. It’s the sponsorship money that really makes a difference. So, whatever the amount, we’re asking everyone to make every effort to return their sponsorship money as soon as possible. It can be paid in online, by phone, by cheque or in person at a Cancer Research UK shop.
One in two people will get cancer at some point in their lives. But thanks to advances in research, more people are surviving than ever before.
Nell Barrie, Cancer Research UK’s Senior Science Communication Manager, said:
We want to see people with every type of cancer, including those that are hard to treat, get a good chance of living a long healthy life. The advances we’ve made since Race for Life started in 1994 show we are moving in the right direction.
Our researchers are dedicated to discovering new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. They are tackling the disease on all fronts – developing personalised medicine where patients will have treatment tailored to their cancer, immunotherapy which harnesses the immune system to target the disease, better screening and tests to diagnose cancer earlier, and ways to help prevent the disease in people who are at risk.
But each year more and more people are diagnosed with cancer, so there’s still much more to do. That’s why we need everyone who took part in Race for Life in Harrogate to take the vital last step by returning their sponsorship money so that our scientists, doctors and nurses can make strides forward in research.
For information on returning sponsorship money, or to make a donation, visit www.raceforlife.org
- Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in partnership with Tesco is an inspiring women-only series of 5k, 10k and Pretty Muddy events which raise millions of pounds every year to help defeat cancer by funding life-saving research.
- Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event series with over 300 events around the UK from May to the end of September.
- Women and girls of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes from all over the UK join together to walk, jog or run to raise money to help beat over 200 types of cancer affecting men, women and children. All women are welcome, regardless of whether they are taking part on their own or as part of a group.
- It’s easy to take part and raise money as a group, with the introduction of a simple to use online group entry process.
- In 2016, Cancer Research UK hopes to recruit 554,000 women and raise £55m to help fund life-saving work.
- The normal entry fee for the 5k and 10k events is £14.99 for adults and £10 for girls under 16. This covers the costs of staging the event series and means that money raised in sponsorship can go to help beat cancer.
- Race for Life started as one event in 1994 at Battersea Park with 680 participants.
About Race for Life Pretty Muddy
- Pretty Muddy is a new addition to the Race for Life family of events which also includes the much-loved 5k and 10k events.
- There will be 65 Pretty Muddy events across the UK.
- Pretty Muddy is a women-only, non-competitive 5k obstacle course – with mud.
- Open to women and girls over 13, of all fitness levels, Pretty Muddy isn’t about blood, sweat and tears – it’s about fun, friendship and fundraising to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
- Each Pretty Muddy event will have 8-10 obstacles, plus a few surprises in between. There will be a combination of messy and muddy obstacles, climbing obstacles and crawling obstacles.
- The entry fee is £19.99 for adults and £10 for girls under 16. This covers the costs of staging the event series and means that money raised in sponsorship can go to help beat cancer.
- Participants with pre-existing medical conditions are advised to seek advice from their doctor before registering.
About Cancer Research UK
- Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
- Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.
- Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.
- Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last forty years.
- Today, 2 in 4 people will still be alive 10 years or more after a cancer diagnosis. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will still be alive 10 years or more after a cancer diagnosis.
- Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
- Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
