Baton for Yorkshire crosses finish line of landmark 500-mile relay in recognition of people with cancer in Yorkshire

The Baton for Yorkshire has crossed the finish line at the Yorkshire Cancer Research centre in Harrogate, completing its landmark 500-mile journey across the region.

As part of the charity’s We Walk for Yorkshire fundraising campaign, the month-long Yorkshire-wide baton relay brought together people with cancer, charity supporters and researchers to carry the baton through 35 Yorkshire locations, in recognition of the 35,000 people diagnosed with cancer in the region each year.

Alongside raising vital funds for life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire, the relay gave people the opportunity to carry the baton in recognition of someone or something meaningful to them, with personal messages placed inside as it travelled across the region. 

Having journeyed through East, South and West Yorkshire, the Baton for Yorkshire arrived in Skipton last week to begin its final leg through North Yorkshire, passing through Northallerton, Thirsk, Scarborough York and Knaresborough.

Among those who carried the baton through North Yorkshire was Phil Foxton from Northallerton. He travelled from Knaresborough to Thirsk, in memory of his mother-in-law Liz Dunn, who was Secretary of her local Yorkshire Cancer Research volunteer group in the 1990s and helped establish the charity’s first shop in Northallerton. By carrying the Baton for Yorkshire, Phil wanted to continue Liz’s legacy of supporting life-saving cancer research in the region. 

Having grown up in Thirsk, Phil lived around the UK before returning to Yorkshire with his family. While the move home was something he had been looking forward to, it coincided with the news Liz had been diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer. Sadly, she had limited treatment options and she died in 2005.

Phil said: “Coming back to North Yorkshire - the place I call home - was bittersweet. I’m Yorkshire born and bred; there’s no other place like it and I’m so glad we came back, but my mother-in-law's cancer changed our priorities completely.

“My father-in-law, John, passed away in September 2024 and after moving into their home, we discovered so much memorabilia from Liz’s fundraising work with Yorkshire Cancer Research, including her old committee meeting notebook. Seeing that history inspired me to start volunteering too.”

Following in Liz’s footsteps, Phil has volunteered at the Yorkshire Cancer Research shop in Northallerton for nearly five years. His time helps fund ground-breaking research like EPIC-GB, a programme of new brain cancer clinical trials which aim to improve survival and quality of life for people with the most common and fastest growing type of brain cancer. 

After completing his leg of the relay, Phil placed the names of loved ones he was walking inside the Baton for Yorkshire.

He concluded: “When I carried the Baton for Yorkshire, I thought of my family – those we’ve sadly lost and those continuing their legacy today.”

On the final day of the We Walk for Yorkshire relay, Lisa Sumpton was handed the Baton for Yorkshire at the Yorkshire Cancer Research shop in Harrogate town centre. This May marks a year since the 53-year-old from Harrogate ran a marathon after she finished her cancer treatment, thanks in part to the pioneering cancer exercise treatment she received through Active Together, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research. 

Lisa has always led an active lifestyle and loved taking part in running challenges. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2023, she didn't know when she would next cross the finish line of a race.

Lisa said: “Before cancer, I loved how exercising outside made me feel fit and healthy. I would take part with my friends and we would feel the buzz from running together.

“It was a shock when my consultant confirmed I had cancer and I would have to stop running. Thankfully, I was reassured it hadn’t spread elsewhere.”

Following surgery and between chemotherapy sessions, Lisa began going on regular walks, so she could still keep moving and enjoy the fresh air. During this time, she also attended an assessment with Active Together and went on to take part in pioneering cancer exercise treatment that was scheduled around her hospital treatment.  

Lisa said: “I was really missing my exercise. I felt like I was going to have to start all over again. I knew I wanted to build my strength up and didn’t have full mobility in my left arm, so I was hoping Active Together would help me regain my strength and help me recover.”

“I got so much more than that. After my cancer treatment, Active Together helped me return to fitness in a careful and safe way and gave me ‘me’ back.”

Lisa not only went on to take part in the London Marathon in 2025 but is now fully back to her active routine. Keen to give back, she signed up to this year’s We Walk for Yorkshire challenge and successfully completed her target goal of 140 miles throughout May. 

As the final baton-bearer of the We Walk for Yorkshire relay, 57-year-old Katie Hartshorne from Garforth crossed the finish line at the Yorkshire Cancer Research centre alongside her close family, as well as Andy, one of the charity’s cancer exercise specialists who helped rebuild her strength after cancer treatment. 

A mum of two and former primary school teacher and educator of 30 years, Katie was diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in May 2024. She initially visited her GP with rib pain before being admitted to hospital after experiencing heart palpitations. Following further tests, she began a 12-month course of treatment, including chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, which left her feeling very unwell at times and required frequent hospital visits.

Determined to stay as strong as possible, Katie remained active throughout treatment and built movement into her daily routine wherever she could.

Katie said: “I couldn’t control the diagnosis, but I could control how I dealt with it. I took it one day at a time and made sure I kept walking, even if it was just small steps. If I could take the stairs in hospital, I would - just to keep building myself up. When I had the stem cell transplant, I knew my body would get weaker, so I kept moving, even if it was just walking around my room.”

After finishing treatment in May 2025, Katie felt unsure about what came next and looked to cancer exercise treatment support to help rebuild her strength and confidence. In July 2025, she joined Active Together in Harrogate.

She said: “Before Active Together, I struggled with simple things like going up the stairs, unloading the dishwasher or getting out of the bath without feeling exhausted. I wanted to get back to living day-to-day life again.”

Katie was supported by Andy, one of the cancer exercise treatment experts at Yorkshire Cancer Research, helping people prepare for and recover from their cancer treatment. She followed a personalised cancer exercise treatment programme tailored to her specific health needs and energy levels. 

Although Katie’s cancer is incurable, it is treatable, and she has responded well to treatment. She has recently been on holiday with her husband – her first since treatment – and is making the most of walking and spending time with her family. Carrying the Baton for Yorkshire across the finish line marks a significant moment in her life after cancer treatment and a celebration of how far she has come.

She said: “Carrying the Baton for Yorkshire with the people who supported me through everything was an incredible moment. Having personally benefited from the life-changing work of Yorkshire Cancer Research, it’s a privilege to be part of the relay and help raise awareness of the life-saving difference research makes for people with cancer. 

Yorkshire Cancer Research is funding £75m of vital cancer research and services to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in Yorkshire. These life-giving medical breakthroughs are helping more people live longer, healthier lives, free from cancer.

Neil Preston, Director of Fundraising and Supporter Experience at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “Bringing the Baton for Yorkshire to the Yorkshire Cancer Research Centre marks a powerful moment for everyone involved in this amazing journey.  

"From its first steps in Hull to its final moment in Harrogate, the baton has carried messages of hope, remembrance and determination from every corner of our region, reflecting the people and the purpose at the heart of the charity’s work."

“Together, we are finding new and better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat cancer, bringing us closer to a future where more people survive cancer and enjoy more precious moments with their loved ones.”