CHESTER'S Race for Life event has switched to a new venue and a new date for this year, while fundraisers are also encouraged to set the pace locally.

Determined fundraisers across Cheshire are to Race for Life at Home and carry on the fight against cancer as the nation looks beyond lockdown.  

Organisers Cancer Research UK have postponed events for the spring and early summer to protect people’s health as the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Race for Life Chester will now instead be held at Delamere Forest on Sunday, October 10 - one week after this year's Chester Marathon. The 3k, 5k and 10k events will all be held at the same venue on the same date.

Due to ongoing work in Chester, the event can’t be held in the city centre in 2021, and will no longer be held on its originally planned July date. 

Covid-19 has caused a devastating loss of research funding. Cancer Research UK is predicting a staggering £300 million drop in income over the next three years which could put future medical breakthroughs at risk.   

Now, undeterred women and men are vowing to raise funds by completing their own Race for Life 5K in their nearest green space this April. 

They plan to take part outdoors either alone or in small, socially distanced groups to help people with cancer. 

People can visit raceforlife.org to enter Race for Life at Home for £5 then receive a Race pack which includes a medal.  

 Caitlin Holme, Cancer Research UK event manager, said: “Even whilst we’re still apart, we can unite against cancer.

“There are a million reasons to Race for Life at Home, to help save lives, for those who have had vital treatment delayed or just for a reason to get off the sofa. We want people to run, walk or jog 5K and raise money for life-saving research.

“The truth is, Covid-19 has slowed us down.  But we will never stop and we are absolutely determined to continue to create better cancer treatments for tomorrow. 

"But we can’t do it alone. Sadly, cancer touches almost every family at some point. Every step our scientists take towards beating cancer relies on our supporters. That’s why we need as many people as possible across Cheshire to join us, to stand united and do something extraordinary to help beat cancer.

“We would also like to say a huge thank you to the team at The Cheshire County Sports Club who had offered to host the Chester event for us in 2020 before it was cancelled altogether due to the pandemic.” 

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, which has been in partnership with Tesco for 20 years, is an inspiring series of 3K, 5K, 10K, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids event which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research.

Money raised through Race for Life events funds world-class research to help beat 200 types of cancer- including bowel cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer, brain cancer, children’s cancers and leukaemia.  

A live broadcast on the Cancer Research UK Race for Life Facebook and Race for Life Instagram pages on Saturday, April 24 will include an energiser from a fitness expert as well as inspirational messages of support from people who have been through cancer. 

Participants are then invited to run, walk or jog 5K. Organisers are also inviting participants to share photos and videos on social media using the hashtag #RaceatHome

Every year around 42,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the North West and one in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime.

But the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress. 

Caitlin added: “We’d love to invite as many people as possible to Race for Life at Home this spring, then physically come together in the autumn to join us for Race for Life at Delamere Forest.”

Sign up to Race for Life at Home this April and visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770. Join in and share with #RaceatHome