About The Marsden Marathon
What is The Marsden Marathon?
The Marsden Marathon is a virtual running event, challenging our supporters to run 26.2 miles, in 26 days, to raise money and help improve the lives of cancer patients at The Royal Marsden and around the world.
When is The Marsden Marathon?
1-3 September, but you can run your marathon over as many or few days as you like during September.
Where is The Marsden Marathon?
You can do The Marsden Marathon wherever and whenever you want. That’s the advantage of a virtual challenge!
Is there a registration fee?
No, you don’t need to pay a registration fee for The Marsden Marathon.
Fundraising
Who is The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity?
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money solely to support The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre. Money raised by our supporters means we can ensure our nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments which are used here in the UK and around the world.
From funding state-of-the-art equipment and groundbreaking research, to creating the best patient environments, we never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. Find out more about how we spend money raised on our website.
How much do I have to raise?
There’s no minimum sponsorship target for The Marsden Marathon, just raise as much as you can!
If you raise £50, we’ll send you a special Royal Marsden Cancer Charity head-buff and if you reach £250, you’ll get one of our amazing bespoke medals.
How do I start fundraising on JustGiving?
When you sign up to The Marsden Marathon an online fundraising page will be automatically created for you with a target of £250 (but you can increase this if you like!).
To make the most of your page, we recommend you:
- Add a photo
- Set a target – we know that pages with targets raise more
- Complete the ‘About me’ section – tell people why you’re supporting The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity
- Share your page – as far and as wide as you can using email, WhatsApp and social media, and ask your friends and family to sponsor you
- Update – keep updating your page after each run to keep you donors updated on your progress
Do you have any fundraising tips?
How do I pay in my sponsorship money?
The easiest way for your family and friends to support you is online by donating to your JustGiving page.
All donations made on the page are automatically sent to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, so all you need to do is keep sharing that page to help you reach your target!
If you do receive cash donations or a cheque, please email community.events@rmh.nhs.uk and we’ll give you details on how to get your sponsorship to us.
Taking part
Do I have to do 26.2 miles in one go?
No! You can run, jog or walk, you can break it down to a mile a day or do longer distances. It’s completely up to you how you complete those 26.2 miles in 26 days.
How do I log my miles?
The easiest way to do this is to track them using a fitness map, such as Strava.
You can link your Strava account to your JustGiving page using the ‘Connect to Strava’ button on your JustGiving page. You can find a handy how to guide here.
If you wish to use another tracking device such as a Fitbit or the iPhone health app, that’s also fine – just remember to manually log your miles on your fundraising page so your supporters know when you’ve reached your target distance!
As a beginner level runner, what resources are available to help me?
Beginner runners are welcome and we’re encouraging all abilities to take part in The Marsden Marathon! We have put together some top tips to advise you on how to complete the challenge safely.
Can I take part as part of a team?
Absolutely! Once you have signed up and created your personal JustGiving page, you can then create a JustGiving team page too. When your friends, family or colleagues sign up, they can connect their fundraising page to your team.
Will I get a medal?
If you raise £50 by 30th September, we’ll send you an exclusive Royal Marsden Cancer Charity head-buff, and once you raise £250 or more you’ll get one of our amazing bespoke medals. We’ll send these in the post to the address associated with your JustGiving account, no later than one month after the event.
Can I register after 1st September?
Yes of course! Registrations will be open throughout September, so it doesn’t matter if you start a bit later.
Can I do The Marsden Marathon on different dates?
This event runs from 1st -30th September, so any miles logged outside of these dates won’t count towards your official total. You’re more than welcome to run and fundraise outside of these dates, but we’d recommend you stick to the event dates to receive regular updates and support.
There are also many other ways to support The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. You can see our full list of events on our main website.
I can’t take part anymore, how do I cancel my place/page?
No problem, send us an email at community.events@rmh.nhs.uk and we’ll cancel your registration.
How can I speak to other runners taking part in The Marsden Marathon?
Join our ‘Royal Marsden runners group’ on Facebook to hear from other supporters also taking part in the event.
Getting in touch
How do I get in touch with The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity?
If you have any questions, feedback or comments, we’d love to hear from you. You can email us at community.events@rmh.nhs.uk.
Our working hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am-5pm. We will aim to get back to you ASAP, and never later than 2 working days.