WITH days to go until Race for Life returns to York, the cheeky Burke Brothers are calling on people to sign up.  

   Twins Tom and Mark Burke, from Selby, were inspired to raise money for Cancer Research UK after their dad was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.

The pair, who got national attention and praise, took on their own 5k challenge earlier in the year and hoped to raise £530, which was £10 for every year their father had been with them, but they managed to raise over £21,000 for the charity, saying “we are both quite big lads - so 5k isn’t that easy for us”.

During the build up to the 5k run the boys got well-known for sharing entertaining videos on their social media of their training and progress.

Now the loveable lads are calling on others to take on their own challenge at the Race for Life on Sunday (September 12) at York Racecourse and have used the opportunity to share a motivational pep talk to encourage people to get involved.

Organisers say that so far about 1,500 people are signed up to take part but there’s still plenty of time to join them.

 

Cancer Research UK’s much-loved Race for Life events are returning to the city this weekend but with socially distanced measures in place to keep participants safe.

People can visit raceforlife.org to enter. Money raised will help scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, saving lives as the charity fights back from the impact of the pandemic.

Anyone who registers before Sunday can get 50 per cent off the entry fee. The discount code RFLAUG50 can be applied when entering any Race for Life, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids event.

The boys, who got the backing of radio DJ Chris Moyles who kept sharing their training progress with his audience and helped them raise thousands of pounds over night, know exactly how vital it is to keep raising funds for life-saving research having seen their dad complete treatment for cancer.  

Now they hope their story and humorous take on running and fundraising will inspire people to join a Race for Life event this autumn.

Every year around 31,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire and the Humber and one in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime.

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 events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research. 

Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson York, said: “We are grateful to Tom and Mark for their support.

“Race for Life offers the perfect opportunity for people across the region to run, walk or jog and raise money for life-saving research. We know that 2020 was a year like no other and we had to overcome many challenges thrown our way during the global pandemic. But this past year proves, more than any other, the value of investing in science and medical research and what can be achieved by working together. Just like science is our route out of the pandemic, science is our route to beating cancer. We are absolutely determined to continue to create better cancer treatments for tomorrow.

“All 400 mass participation Race for Life events across the UK were cancelled last year to protect the country’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic. So this year, more than ever, we need people to enter the Race for Life- for the people we love, for the people we’ve lost and for the one in two of us who will get cancer.”

Enter now at raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.