Century Radio is supporting Race for Life in the North East this year raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Once again, our presenters and crew will be at many of the races, taking part and taking photos to put in our gallery.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER RACE FOR LIFE 2008

Sunderland, Herrington Park - 11th May at 11.00am
Gateshead, Saltwell Park - 18th May at 11.00am
Darlington, South Park - 8th June at 11.00am
Hartlepool, Promenade - 15th June at 11.00am
Middlesbrough, Ormesby Hall - 20th June at 7.30pm
Middlesbrough, Ormesby Hall - 21st June at 10.30am
Durham, Maiden Castle - 6th July at 10.30am and 3.00pm
Newcastle, Exhibition Park - 13th July at 11.00am and 3.00pm

Some venues are very popular and may become full well before race day, so it is important to enter as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment! We recommend that anyone under 16 is accompanied by an adult.

For insurance purposes there cannot be any prams, pushchairs, baby joggers, pets, roller skates or inline skates and they will not be allowed on the course.

But the SAS being sought by Race for Life is their very own Special Action Squad – a unique team made up of ordinary local men and women who simply want to volunteer their time and energy to help make the day a huge success.

Everyone is welcome - men as well as women - of all ages and abilities.  And volunteers don’t even have to know someone who is taking part in Race for Life.  By simply joining Race for Life’s SAS and doing their bit they will also be making a big difference to people affected by cancer.

To register for Race for Life Special Action Squad visit www.raceforlife.org/supportourevents/volunteer  To enter Race for Life visit www.raceforlife.org/north or call the hotline on 0871 641 2278.

TELL US YOUR FUNDRAISING IDEAS AND SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING click here

Download a training plan for the race

Reebok Walk And Talk Training Plan
Reebok Walk Run Walk Training Plan
Reebok Run Easy Training Plan

Throughout the Summer at 262 venues across the UK, an anticipated 750,000 women will participate in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, to raise vital funds to support the charity's life-saving work.

Cancer Research UK's Race for Life was created in 1994 and has gone from strength to strength over the years. Organised by Cancer Research UK, Race for Life has grown to become the UK's biggest fundraising event, raising a total of more than £200 million to date for cancer research.

So, what exactly do we want you to do?! We want you to be part of 800,000 women, of any age and any level of fitness, who will run or walk 5km to raise £50 million for Cancer Research UK in 2008. You can join in with any of the races mentioned above - the Century Radio Crew will be there to support you too!

The entry fee is £12.50, which covers the organisation and administration costs - this entry fee then ensures that all the money you then raise in sponsorship goes directly to Cancer Research UK's life-saving work

You can enter by visiting  the Race for Life 2008 website, just click on the logo to the left!

Here, you can find all the information you need, including an entry form, how to raise money and there is even a message board for you to chat with other runners or walkers!

You can also call the Race for Life hotline which is 0871 641 2278, the hotline is open between 8.30am and 8.30pm and calls are charged at national rate.

Key facts about Cancer Research UK

• Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading independent organisation dedicated to cancer research and the largest single funder of cancer research in the UK
• The charity funds around 4,250 scientists, doctors and nurses based throughout the UK  
• Cancer Research UK’s vision is ‘Together we will beat cancer’
• We carry out world-class research to improve our understanding of cancer and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer 
• We ensure that our findings are used to improve the lives of all people with cancer

Key Facts about cancer

• Each year in the UK, nearly 285,000 people are diagnosed with cancer and more than 150,000 people die from the disease. 
• More than one in three people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.
• Cancer is the biggest single cause of death in the UK - one in four of us will die from the disease.
• There are over 200 different types of cancer. Breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer account for almost half of all new cases diagnosed.

Advances and Achievements

Thanks to cancer research, advances are being made in the detection and treatment of cancer and lives are being saved.  Here are some motivating statistics that illustrate the progress being made:

• Average ten-year survival rates for cancer have doubled over the past three decades
• On average, half of all people diagnosed with cancer now will survive for at least five years
• Survival rates have improved for most common cancers over recent years
• Since 1990, the death rate from cancer has dropped by 18% - that’s nearly a fifth
• Survival rates for ovarian cancer have doubled since the 1970s
• The death rate for breast cancer in the UK has fallen by almost a fifth in the last 10 years
• The death rate for bowel cancer has fallen by a third over the last 20 years.  That’s thanks to greater awareness, earlier detection and better treatments
• More than nine out of ten men with testicular cancer are now successfully treated.
• Around 3 out of 4 children with cancer now survive, compared with only 1 in 4 in the 1960s

Shopping List

£1,000 could fund one woman’s participation in the international IBIS-II breast cancer prevention trial.  The aim of this trial is to see whether the drug anastrozole can prevent the disease in healthy post-menopausal women at high risk. 

£1,250 could fund ten women’s participation in the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening.  This trial, which is co-funded by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, is the first of its kind.  It aims to assess the effectiveness of ovarian cancer screening in saving lives and the feasibility of introducing a national screening programme for this disease.

£1,000 could buy:

• 35,000 glass slides for studying cells and tumour samples in detail under the microscope
• 13,000 cryotubes for storing biological samples at low temperatures, so they can be used in future studies to help beat cancer
• 100 digital timers.  These are indispensable pieces of equipment for our scientists who often carry out experiments that require precise timing.
• £2,000 could buy:
• Four liquid nitrogen storage vessels for the long-term storage of tumour samples at ultra-low temperatures
• 133 lab coats for our scientists.

£5,000 could buy a safety cabinet.  These are used by scientists working with cells in the lab, in order to prevent contamination with germs in the air.

Fundraising Ideas

Ideas so far include...

A sweepstake for participants finish time.
Guess the name of the puppy.
setting up your own online fundraising page, via www.raceforlife.org/north.
Corporate giving - participants ask their employer to match what they raise.

Find out more at the Race For Life Website

If you have a great idea to raise money why not share it with us.

Send us a message below