Run 65k Your Way
and Send A Smile To A Child In Hospital With Cancer
Run to raise money and smiles
Sign up. Donate just £1 a km. Get running. Make a difference.
Do it on your own, with a mate, or in your running group. Do it on the streets, at the track, on the trails, on the treadmill, or at an organised event. Do it a little at a time or all in one go!
However you choose to do it, by pledging to run 65k in a single month, and donating £1 per kilometre when you sign up, you'll fund a free kids' Cancer Kit for one of the hundreds of children diagnosed with cancer every year.
Why get involved?
Around 1,900 children and young people receive a cancer diagnosis every year here in the UK.
It's the news every parent, grandparent, and carer dreads to hear, and turns family life upside down.
Worse still, childhood cancer is on the rise, up 6% in the last 10 years alone.
Many of the children diagnosed with cancer will spend some time in hospital, whether that's having tests or treatment. This may include any or all of these:
- surgery
- chemotherapy
- radiotherapy
- immunotherapy
- blood transfusions
- bone marrow transplants
That time in hospital can be lonely and frightening - being prodded and poked, away from their home comforts, friends, and even their families.
That's why we began supplying free Cancer Kits to children in hospital with cancer. Packed with a mixture of practical items and goodies, they provide a moment of delight and distraction during what is a distressing time.
In 2025, we're making it our mission to ensure that every child impacted by cancer has access to a Cancer Kit with help from people like you.
It costs us around £65 to fill and send a Cancer Kit.
Make a difference to one of 1,900 children affected by cancer every year with your £65 donation
You can make cancer treatment more bearable for a child like 3 year old Nancy
Nancy was just three years old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May 2023. She had been very poorly for three weeks, but it took several visits to the doctor and a hospital trip before it became clear what was wrong. Nancy was then rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where she was immediately given an emergency blood transfusion and put on a chemotherapy programme. To experience so much physical discomfort and emotional upset would be tough enough for an adult, but Nancy was just a little girl. The arrival of a Kids’ Kit, kindly donated by someone like you, made a big difference. It included one of our Cuddles bears which Nancy loved, and which offered the softest and most comforting of cuddles, as well as soothing comfort when her tummy ached because of treatment.
“When Nancy was first diagnosed I didn’t want to believe it was true. Our lives changed overnight," said Lisa, Nancy's mum. Nancy received her kids' Cancer Kit when she was at a truly low point, restoring her smile. “Nancy was so excited to receive her Kid’s Kit from Cancer Support UK. She tried the yellow Minion socks on straight away and they helped keep her feet cosy and warm, because chemotherapy made her feet feel chilly. She adored the warmable bunny, which offered soft comforting cuddles when her tummy ached because of treatment. The yo-yo was also hugely popular – it was a fun distraction from the tedium of hospital visits."
Turn a frown upside down and feel good
Whether you're a novice or a seasoned runner, you're going to be pounding your routes anyway, so why not make every step on the way to 65k count for something? Imagine knowing that you helped to make a real difference to a child in hospital with cancer - a poorly child enduring tests and treatment for a life-threatening disease in unfamiliar surroundings - by making sure they're able to receive their free Cancer Kit. Wouldn't that feel good?
Inspired by one of our supporters
Lee from Preston in Lancashire set himself the challenge of running 2k a day in January 2025, but then turned his personal mission into a fundraiser by stretching his target distance to 65k and donating £1 per kilometre to help fund a kids' Cancer Kit.
"I was getting out and running anyway, but thought that I'd be even more likely to stick to it if I made it into a fundraiser and publicly committed to it! It's good to know that the money I've been able to raise will make a genuine difference to a child in hospital having cancer treatment. If it were one of my kids, I'd like to think someone out there might care enough to support them through their ordeal, and so that's what I'm doing."
FAQs
What I am signing up to do?
By signing up you're pledging to run 65k, your way, in a single month whilst donating £1 per kilometre
Do I have to do it in a particular month?
Nope, you pick a month that suits you and your availability and just go for it!
How do I prove that I've done it?
You don't need to, it's a pledge. But if you want to keep us informed so we can cheer you on, that's great!
Am I expected to get sponsorship?
Certainly not, but we'll support you if you do decide to turn it into a fundraiser!
Ready, Set, Go!
Sign up, make your pledge, donate your £1 per kilometre, then lace up your running shoes, get your activity tracker at the ready, and get running!
Who are we?
We're Cancer Support UK, a national charity that exists to provide practical and emotional support to people with cancer, during and after the treatment period.
© Cancer Support UK
Registered Charity No. 1105703 (England and Wales) SC039731 (Scotland)
By signing up for this challenge and donating £65, you'll be helping us provide kids' Cancer Kits to children undergoing cancer treatment. Our goal is to reach 1,900 children, representing the estimated number of diagnoses this year in the UK. While we aim to use all donations for this purpose, should demand be lower than anticipated, funds will be used where they are most urgently needed to support children and adults affected by cancer.