Last updated: 30 May 2024

General 

These rules (“the Rules”) apply to the following events:

• Race for Life 3k, 5k or 10k
• Race for Life Pretty Muddy 5k
• Race for Life Pretty Muddy Kids

(each “Event” and together “the Events”) and by registering for an Event, you agree to comply with them. Please check this page from time to time, as we may occasionally amend these Rules and any changes will be binding on all participants and supporters.

If you have any questions, please contact the Race for Life hotline on 0300 123 0770* and a member of the relevant support team will be happy to help you.

All the Events are organised by Cancer Research UK Trading Limited (registered office: 2 Redman Place, London E20 1JQ, registered company number: 4355631), a trading company which Gift Aids its taxable profits to Cancer Research UK (a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247)).

Where reference is made to “CRUK” in these Rules, it means both Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research UK Trading Limited. 

Participant Entry

1. Each Event is subject to various age restrictions as set out below, which relate to the age of the participant on the day of the relevant Event. Participants must be able to provide proof of age on the day. We reserve the right to refuse entry to an Event, with no refund, to any participant who is under age, or is unable to provide proof of age when requested to do so by an Event official.

2. We will only accept entries to an Event on the day where we are satisfied that it is safe to do so, given that each Event has an allocated capacity that each Event Team must adhere to, and the contact details for all participants must be held in advance in case of an emergency.

Race for Life 3k, 5k & 10k Participants

Children between the ages of 6 and 15 years old inclusive

• Cannot enter individually
• Must be entered as an additional entrant, where the primary entrant is 18 or over and is the parent/legal guardian of the additional entrant or has the permission of the additional entrant’s parent or legal guardian
• Must give contact details for the parent or legal guardian
• Cannot be a group leader

Participants aged 16 and over

• Can enter individually
• Do not need parent or legal guardian contact details
• Can be the primary entrant for multiple entries
• Can be a group leader
• Can be the primary entrant for an additional entrant under 16 where the primary entrant is the parent/legal guardian of the additional entrant or has the permission of the additional entrant’s parent or legal guardian. Must give contact details for the parent or legal guardian.

Only registered participants who have paid their entry fee (or had the fee paid for them) are eligible to take part in Race for Life 3k, 5k & 10k Events. 

Adults wishing to bring children under the age of 6 do not have to register their child and they can come along free of charge. However, please note that we only have sufficient numbers of Race for Life medals to provide to registered participants, and therefore we are unable to provide medals to children under 6 years old. For health and safety reasons parents are advised not to allow children under the age of 3 years old to play with these medals. 

Race for Life Pretty Muddy 5k Participants

Participants must be at least 13 years old on the day of the relevant Pretty Muddy Event to take part as some obstacles on the course are not suitable for people younger than this. For younger participants, please see Pretty Muddy Kids.

Children between the ages of 13 and 15 years old inclusive

• Cannot enter individually
• Must be entered as an additional entrant, where the primary entrant is 18 or over and is the parent/legal guardian of the additional entrant or has the permission of the additional entrant’s parent or legal guardian
• Must give contact details for the parent or legal guardian
• Cannot be a group leader

Young Adults aged 16 and 17 

• Can enter individually
• Do not need parent or legal guardian contact details but must have the permission of the parent/legal guardian
• Can be a group leader
• Cannot enter participants under 16
• If registering any additional entrant aged 16 or 17, must have the permission of the additional entrant’s parent or legal guardian

Adults aged 18 and over

• Can enter individually
• Do not need parent or legal guardian contact details
• Can be the primary entrant for multiple entries
• Can be a group leader
• Can be the primary entrant for an additional entrant under 16 where the primary entrant is the parent or legal guardian of the additional entrant or has the permission of the additional entrant’s parent or legal guardian. Must give contact details for the parent or legal guardian.

Only registered participants who have paid their entry fee (or had the fee paid for them) are eligible to take part in Race for Life Pretty Muddy Events.

Race for Life Pretty Muddy Kids Participants

1. Pretty Muddy Kids is an obstacle race open to all children over 1.2m tall and aged between 6 and 12 years inclusive. Children aged 13 and over can take part in the Pretty Muddy 5k standard events.

2. We reserve the right to refuse participation in Pretty Muddy Kids for children who are under 1.2m tall and no refunds will be provided. There will be checks in place on the day.

3. Children must be accompanied by their parent, legal guardian or responsible adult who is 18 or over (who has the consent of the parent/legal guardian) (“Adult”) who will accompany them throughout the course by keeping pace with their progress from the course side-line. The accompanying Adult will not be permitted on the obstacles for health and safety reasons.

4. The Adult must register him/herself and up to 3 children in order for the children to participate. The Adult will pay the entry fee for each child participant but there is no entry fee for the accompanying Adult.

5. A maximum of 3 children can be accompanied by one Adult. The accompanying Adult is expected to be confident at keeping children together and they should complete the course as a group.

6. All child participants will be provided with a running number in their Race pack, with space for their accompanying Adult to write his/her contact details on, which the child must wear on the day.

7. Adults will be provided with a blank running number with space to write the running number/s of all the child participants that they are responsible for, which the Adult must wear on the day.

8. Suitable footwear with grip must be worn when taking part in Pretty Muddy Kids. For safety reasons, no wellies can be worn at the event.

9. Due to the risk of entanglement, child participants must not wear any hair slides / jewellery during the race.

10. For health and safety reasons adults are advised not to allow children under the age of 3 years old to play with any medals handed out on the day. 

Entry Fees and Cancellation 

1. Given the limited number of spaces for each Event, entry fees are non-refundable unless we change an Event venue and/or date (subject to paragraph 2 below), or if we cancel the Event altogether (subject to paragraph 3). Please note that start times may also be staggered and/or subject to change; we will give you as much notice of this as possible, though unfortunately sometimes it may not be possible to do this until your arrival at the Event. We ask that you let us know as soon as possible if you need or want to withdraw from your Event for any reason. 

2. In the event that we need to change the venue and/or date of your Event, we will notify you of this change as soon as possible. Your Event place will be automatically transferred to the re-scheduled Event unless you tell us you are no longer able to attend. In these circumstances you can either ask for a refund of your entry fee, or you can choose to donate this to Cancer Research UK.

3. In the event that we need to cancel your Event, we will notify you of this cancellation as soon as possible. Where possible, we will transfer you to another local Event (within 10 miles). If we are unable to transfer you and/or you are no longer able to attend, you can either ask for a refund of your entry fee or you can choose to donate this to Cancer Research UK. 

4. Entry fees for each Event are as set out on the Race for Life website at the time of purchase unless a sales promotion is taking place, or a promotional or corporate voucher is used which covers all or some of the entry fee. This fee contributes towards the costs of staging the Event.

5. Your Event place will not be confirmed until you receive an email received from us acknowledging that a place has been allocated to you at the relevant Event.

6. If you register for an Event within 1 week of the Event date, your running number will not be sent to you in the post but will be available to collect from the blue topped Admin Tent on the day of the Event.  In addition, you will not be sent a Fundraising Pack in the post, but if you would like to be sent an electronic version contact the Race for Life hotline on 0300 123 0770* and a member of the relevant support team will be happy to help you.

Race for Life Discounts and Vouchers 

1. Vouchers will not be eligible for refund, extension or transfer once the period of validity has passed.

2. Vouchers may be redeemed for Events on the Race for Life website, or by or calling the Race for Life hotline number given at the top of these Rules until the deadline stated on the voucher.

3. Valid vouchers/voucher codes may only be used once and apply to a single Event place only (whether for an adult or a child). NB. Child entries cannot be made without an adult entry within the same transaction. 

4. Anyone participating in an Event as a result of a voucher redemption will be subject to these Rules.

5. We reserve the right, in the case of circumstances beyond our control to modify, suspend or cancel the use of vouchers.

6. We will not be liable to the voucher holder or any other person if a voucher is lost, deleted or stolen.

7. Voucher terms and conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. 

Access 

1. All participants wanting to take part in an Event in a wheelchair must refer to the Event page on the Race for Life website or contact the Race for Life hotline number given at the top of these Rules to confirm accessibility for wheelchairs. Regrettably, Race for Life Pretty Muddy courses are not suitable for wheelchairs. 

2. Participants can take part in certain Race for Life 3k, 5k & 10k Events with prams/pushchairs. To find out if your event is suitable, check your Event page or call the Race for Life hotline number given at the top of these Rules before entering.

3. All participants who are bringing a pram/pushchair to their Event should use the pram/pushchair to accommodate their child and follow instructions given by the Event Manager and officials on the day to include starting the event at the back of the walkers to ease congestion. 

Changes and Last Minute Arrangements 

1. Once registered, you can only transfer to another Event or (in the case of Race for Life Pretty Muddy Events) start time with our permission. There are strict capacity limits for each Event and start time, and it is important for health and safety reasons that neither the Event nor the start time exceeds its individual capacity. If you wish to transfer to a different Event or (where applicable) start time please contact us on the telephone number given at the top of these Rules. 

2. Participants arriving late must abide by the instructions and decisions of the Event Manager or their representative at the Enquiries Marquee. For health and safety reasons it is possible that latecomers will not be permitted to take part.

3. We reserve the right to refuse entry to participants who try to take part in the wrong event distance or start time without prior approval (see rule 1 above).

4. We reserve the right to reduce or alter event courses to accommodate any unexpected complications on the day that may have an impact on Cancer Research UK staff, participants, volunteers and spectators. 

Conduct 

1. All participants and supporters must abide by the Rules and any rules, instructions or regulations displayed or given before or on the day of the Event by CRUK, police and/or Event officials, including those relating to the health and safety of participants and supporters

2. We respectfully ask that all participants and supporters do not use aggressive or abusive language towards our Event organisers, marshals, officials, volunteers and other participants. You should also avoid behaving in a way which may cause injury or harm to other participants and/or spectators, or which may cause offence or damage the reputation of CRUK.

3. CRUK opposes the promotion and use of tobacco in all its forms. All participants and supporters are therefore required to refrain from smoking tobacco products or e-cigarettes at all Events.

4. We respectfully ask that all participants and supporters do not drop litter but instead use the litter and recycling facilities available within the venues and around the course or take litter home to dispose of responsibly.

5. Race for Life 3k, 5k & 10k participants can take part with their dogs at a wide selection of venues. To confirm whether an event allows dogs, visit the relevant Event venue page on the Race for Life website or call the Race for Life hotline number given at the top of these Rules before entering. However, participants in Race for Life Pretty Muddy Events cannot take part with dogs.

6. Any participant bringing a dog to an Event must act in a responsible manner by making sure that:

• The dog is kept on a short lead (extending leads are not suitable), under close control at all times, and any usual equipment (muzzle / harness etc.) used to control the dog is employed on the day.
• The dog has a collar with a clearly identifiable tag.
• Adequate water is supplied for the dog to keep them hydrated.
• Any dog mess is cleaned up and disposed of responsibly.
• Dogs are NOT kept in cars on hot days.
• All instructions given by the Event Manager and officials on the day are adhered to, including participants with dogs starting the Event at the back of the walkers if required.

7. We reserve the right to ask participants and supporters to leave an Event if they do not adhere to these Rules, and no refunds shall be given in these circumstances. 

Health & Safety and Medical 

1. All Events are non-competitive, non-UKA accredited walks, jogs or runs. We will therefore allow under 16-year-olds to participate in Race for Life 3k, 5k and 10k Events, but they must be accompanied at all times by their parent or legal guardian (or by a primary entrant who has the permission of that participant’s parent or legal guardian). 

2. Participants are responsible for ensuring that they are sufficiently fit and healthy to take part in their Event(s). Anyone unsure of their physical ability to take part in an Event must therefore seek medical advice from a general practitioner prior to the Event. It is not advisable for pregnant women to participate in Race for Life Pretty Muddy events.

3. Notwithstanding rule 2 above, we reserve the right to refuse entry to an Event in our absolute discretion, with no refund provided, if for whatever reason we consider a person unfit to take part. We may also ask you to withdraw during an Event if we have concerns about your ability to complete it due to fitness, injury or otherwise. If you choose to continue you do so, with the understanding that you are no longer considered a participant of the Event and that you absolve us of all and any responsibility, and progress entirely at your own risk.

4. Participants are responsible for ensuring that they are wearing appropriate attire (including footwear) when taking part in an Event, taking into account the nature of the Event, the weather forecast and the terrain involved.

5. All Race for Life Pretty Muddy Events contain obstacles consisting of structures and/or inflatables as part of the course, and some of them also feature natural water obstacles. Participants may elect to avoid any such obstacles if they so wish.

6. All participants must write the following on the reverse of their official Race for Life number, which must be worn on the front of shirts during the Event:

• Their name.
• The details of any health problems or current medication.
• The name and number of a person to contact in case of an emergency.

7. We take all reasonable steps to minimise the risk of injury to participants during fundraising events. Stringent risk assessment processes are in place for every Event which aim to minimise or eliminate the risk to everyone taking part. By taking part in an Event, all participants acknowledge that there may be conditions or circumstances beyond our control that can lead to unforeseen risks. If you have any concerns or queries please contact us on the relevant telephone number given at the top of these Rules before agreeing to take part in an Event. 

Fundraising and Donations 

1. To help us beat cancer sooner, we ask each Race for Life/Pretty Muddy participant to try and raise at least £50 for Cancer Research UK.

2. All participants have a legal responsibility to ensure that all fundraising monies/donations received in connection with an Event are paid to Cancer Research UK, and we ask that you do this as soon as possible after the Event. Money pledged via online fundraising pages is collected automatically. Other ways to pay in fundraising monies/donations are as follows:

• Calling the Race for Life hotline number given at the top of these Rules and providing credit or debit card details to make a payment over the phone.
• Sending a cheque made payable to "Cancer Research UK" (stating your full name, unique reference number and event on the back) to:

Race for Life
PO Box 1579
Oxford
OX4 9HX

3. Please ensure that all fundraising donation forms are filled out in full and are returned to us to enable Gift Aid to be claimed where possible. 

4. We regret that fundraising money cannot be accepted on the day of the Event as we do not have the suitable cash handling facilities to fulfil this process.

Use of your information

1. When you register for an Event, we collect personal data relating to you and anyone else that you register.  We will use this information for the purposes of organising, staging and administering the Event, including to send you your Race pack and additional information about fundraising. If you provide personal information on behalf of additional entrants, please only provide this if they have confirmed that they are happy for you to do so.

2. In the case of an emergency we may also pass personal details provided (either when registering for the Event or on the reverse of your Event number) to the emergency services or health care professionals, and also use them for the purposes of contacting your emergency contact.

3. First aid facilities will be provided at each Event. If you are treated by medical providers at an Event, your details will be passed on to us only for health and safety purposes and to fulfil our legal obligations (including those under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995). All accident details will be held on the CRUK Accident Database in line with statutory requirements. 

4. Following your registration we will contact you with information about your Event, including to discuss ways to improve your fundraising and hints and tips to support your preparation for your event. This may include information about how you can get hold of Race for Life merchandise and offers from our partner organisations. 

5. We may pass on participants’ initials and surnames to local newspapers so that a list of entrants can appear in a news supplement about specific events. We will not pass on the details of participants who are under 16.

6. Subject to the marketing preferences we hold for you, your personal data may also be used for the purposes of sending you further information about how you can support the charity’s work and details of future Events. 

7. All personal information held by us will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws and CRUK’s privacy statement which can be found here.

General Filming and Photography at the events

1. Please note that CRUK (or our authorised service providers and agents) or our commercial partners may film or photograph participants, volunteers and spectators taking part or attending Events and use such footage or photographs for the following reasons: (i) for CRUK to publicise the Event for commercial and/or fundraising purposes including, but not limited to, television broadcasts, advertising, publications, marketing material, merchandising, and other documents that may be made available to the public; and (ii) for our commercial partners to publicise their involvement and/or association with the Event.

2. No personal details (including names) of any under 16-year-old participants will be used in any publicity materials without the written consent of their parent or legal guardian, but we may use images where children are incidentally included e.g. of mass participation in the energiser, or on the starting line.

3. Subject to rule 2 above, please only register a participant under the age of 16 if the participant’s parent/legal guardian (as applicable) are happy for their images to be used in the manner described in these Rules.

Marathon Photos - Standard Life photo moment and course/finish line photos

1. We have appointed independent third party photographers, Marathon-Photos.com Ltd (“Marathon Photos”), to take photos at some Events listed below** (“Participating Events”). Marathon Photos may take photos of participants, volunteers and spectators including any children participating or attending at the Participating Events and upload them on their website (https://marathonphotos.live/). Photos will be accessible by entering the participant’s name or runner number and date of birth or if no results appear when searching by runner number or name, using Marathon Photo’s facial recognition process. Please see the list of Participating Events** to see which photo opportunities will be available. Please refer to Marathon Photos Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy for further information regarding their fees, terms and how they may collect and process your personal data.

2. By participating in any of the Participating Events, you ackowledge and understand that:

• you, your guests and/or any child under your care may be photographed by Marathon Photos at these Events;
• these photographs will be accessible on provision of a participant’s name or running number and date of birth or if no results appear when searching by runner number or name, using the facial recognition option on Marathon Photos website;
• a copy of the photos taken by Marathon Photos at these Events may be provided to CRUK for our commercial and/or fundraising purposes. In particular, where these photos  include people for example, in mass participation in the energiser or on the starting line, we may use such images in our commercial and/or fundraising materials (including but not limited to television broadcasts, advertising, publications, marketing material, merchandising, and other documents that may be made available to the public). If we wish to use your individual photos from Marathon Photos to publicise the Event and / or for our commercial and/or fundraising purposes we will only do so with your consent; and
• we will pass on participants’ full name, runner number and date of birth to Marathon Photos to enable participants to access their photos on the Marathon Photos website. Please refer to Marathon Photo’s terms and conditions or privacy policy for further information. If you would prefer that we did not pass on your details, please contact us on 0300 123 0770 before 3pm on Friday 31 May 2024 if your Event is on 1 June 2024, 2 June 2024 or 5 June 2024, or before 5pm on the Tuesday prior to your Event for any other Event.

3. We respect your right to privacy. We rely on our legitimate interests to collect your photos and associated personal data for the purposes described above. If you do not wish for your photograph to be made available as described above, please contact us on 0300 123 0770 or inform the Enquiries Marquee on the day at the relevant Event.

Chip Timing 

1. We appoint an independent third party chipped timing company to record and track participants’ timings and locations at Events.  Their service includes uploading the chipped timing results on to CRUK’s and/or the chipped timing company’s website which is open to all members of the public.  We will pass on participants’ full name, phone number and participant number to the chipped timing company to enable participants to receive a text with their finishing time at the end of their Event.

2. If you would prefer that we did not pass on your details; and/or do not wish to have your finish time (and/or the child’s finish time in the case of parents/guardians of under 16s) displayed on the CRUK website and/or chipped timing company website, please call CRUK on 0300 123 6624.

Liability 

1. Use of the Race for Life website is subject to our website terms and conditions. 

2. All participants and spectators enter and attend an Event entirely at their own risk. We shall not be liable for any injury, damage or loss to participants or their property that might occur as a result of their participation or attendance at an Event, other than in respect of any injury or loss arising as a result of our negligence. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this clause shall exclude or limit our liability for any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law. 

*Contacting Race for Life

Race for Life telephone support is provided through our contact centres. Calls may be transferred to a specialist department to ensure the best level of assistance can be provided. Initial contact is through our main helpline number, given at the top of these Rules.

Up-to-date contact details and opening hours, as well as frequently asked questions, can be found here: https://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/contact-us