Hundreds of people step up for more cancer cures in Yorkshire

People from all corners of Yorkshire have laced up their trainers and taken on challenge events this year, raising £233,000 to help bring more cancer cures to people in Yorkshire.

From seasoned runners chasing personal bests to first-time fundraisers embracing a new challenge, over 600 people took part, helping raise vital funds for life-saving research and innovative cancer services in Yorkshire.  

In total, nearly 8,000 miles were clocked across challenge events in the region, including the world’s biggest half-marathon, the Great North Run, and the iconic Yorkshire Marathon, which has sold out every year since 2013. 

Yorkshire Cancer Research currently funds £75 million of cancer research and services, giving 182,000 people in Yorkshire and beyond the opportunity to take part in innovative clinical trials, treatments and research-backed services.  

Challenge events are a vital way for supporters in Yorkshire to raise crucial funds and help the charity in its life-saving mission to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Here are some of the inspiring people who have stepped up for pioneering cancer research and helped save lives in Yorkshire. 

This year marked Lindsay Wilkinson’s second time taking on the Leeds Half Marathon. A lifelong fan of ultimate frisbee and team sports, Lindsay, from Leeds, took up long-distance running after her partner, Stu, was re-diagnosed with cancer.  

Lindsay explained: “Throughout Stu’s treatment – the hospital appointments, scans, blood tests and ‘what if’ scenarios - running became part of my way of coping. It forced me to go outside and keep active when all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide.”

Sadly, Stu passed away in March 2024. Shortly after, Lindsay raised £4,000 to help bring more pioneering cancer treatments and research to people in Yorkshire. This year, Lindsay ran again in Stu’s memory, dressed up as a dinosaur fondly nicknamed ‘Roger’. 

“When Stu passed away, my grief was all-encompassing. I can’t overstate how much the routine and purpose of running helped through that awful period.” 

Lindsay continued: “The Leeds Half Marathon is an incredible event. There’s something special about seeing the streets I walk down every day transformed into a sea of people with the same goal. 

44-year-old Lucy Kendrick, from Beverley, ran the Great North Run this year for her close family friend, Jade Ashworth. Jade, a passionate performer and burlesque dancer, saw her life take an unexpected turn following an optician’s appointment she attended in March 2025 after months of migraines, sensitivity to light and other symptoms that concerned her.

Jade said: “The opticians were worried by swelling around my eye, so I was sent straight to A&E. All I heard was that I had an aggressive brain tumour and may only have 18 months left. From there, it was a whirlwind. Less than 10 days after that initial routine eye scan, I was in hospital for surgery.”

Since her diagnosis, Jade has aimed to stay upbeat. She said: "Even though it was one of the hardest times of my life, I was determined to keep a positive outlook throughout. 

Jade is gradually returning to her regular routine: baking, being with her loved ones, and dancing on stage. When her close friend Lucy decided to sign up to the Great North Run, she wanted Jade to pick the charity, and for Jade, there was only one option. Jade was keen to support Yorkshire Cancer Research’s work to improve early cancer diagnosis in Yorkshire after passing by the charity’s stall in St James’s Hospital on the way to her radiotherapy treatment.  

Lucy said: “Thinking of her kept me going throughout my training and during the race. I knew that if Jade could get through her cancer diagnosis and come out the other side dancing, I could get through 13 miles!” 

Dr Jordan Curry, from Newcastle upon Tyne, was among the many determined participants in this year’s Great North Run. He is one of 750 cancer researchers and cancer experts involved in Yorkshire Cancer Research projects, helping to continue the charity’s 100-year legacy of progress through his pioneering work in cancer health inequalities.  

Jordan’s research is part of the £5.2 million TRANSFORM programme at Hull York Medical School which aims to understand and address inequalities in cancer diagnosis and survival in Yorkshire. Working with international cancer researchers, he helped to bring research-backed exercise support and cancer information to people diagnosed with lung cancer in Hull.

Jordan said: “Yorkshire Cancer Research funded the life-changing PhD which brought me to Yorkshire.  We developed a website to support people with lung cancer - from those recently diagnosed to those receiving palliative care – by providing information and resources on cancer and exercise. Just helping someone manage their breathlessness so they could walk to the shops was a huge improvement in their quality of life.” 

He continued: "Having witnessed the phenomenal impact of exercise on people following a cancer diagnosis, the Great North Run was the perfect way to connect to the research I’m part of.

Committed volunteer Rosemary Thompson plays a vital role in bringing ground-breaking cancer research to Yorkshire. Having lived in Harrogate for most of her life, she enjoys spending time in her community: running in the countryside, going on walks around Fewston and Swinsty Reservoirs, and volunteering at the Yorkshire Cancer Research shop in Hornbeam Park, Harrogate. 

Rosemary marked turning 60 this year by completing her fourth Great North Run. She raised over £2,000 to support the work of Yorkshire Cancer Research and help the charity improve Yorkshire’s high cancer rates. She continues to take on new challenges in memory of her best friend, who sadly passed away from breast cancer aged just 43. 

Rosemary said: “The race was an amazing atmosphere. I did find it tough, especially with so many inclines! However, it’s the best feeling when you finish. You can’t breathe or stop crying because the emotion really fills you. I beat my personal record by five minutes, and at the end I thought ‘never again’, but now I’m already considering another!”  

Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “It’s been an incredible year for challenge events, with people from across Yorkshire setting ambitious goals and taking on remarkable distances for a cancer-free future. Thank you to the dedicated fundraisers who have contributed to ground-breaking cancer research and helped to save lives in Yorkshire.”

It’s never too early to sign up to a 2026 challenge event.