Volunteer calling on people to help celebrate 30 years of Scarborough Race for Life event

Rachel Speight-McGregor, who has supported Race for Life for more than two decades, knows how vital it is to raise funds for life-saving research.

She will be back at Scarborough, where she spent two years as a student, on Wednesday May 24, to encourage participants as they take part in the 3k, 5k and 10k routes.

More than 400 people are already signed up and are expected to raise £14,200 for the charity.

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with headline sponsor Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, is an inspiring series of events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research.  

This is the 30th year of Race for Life and participants will receive an exclusive medal to mark the milestone.

Earlier this year, Rachel, 53, was named a Cancer Research UK Honorary Fellow in appreciation of her exceptional loyalty and dedication to the charity. She has raised approximately £100,000 at different Race for Life events over the years.

Rachel, who lives at Ampleforth, was motivated to help after she lost a friend to cancer, aged just 21. A qualified Zumba and aerobics instructor, she often leads participants in a warm up and is known for her costumes, which include Piglet from Winnie the Pooh.

She works for Cancer Research UK as a relationship manager and continues to volunteer at as many events as possible.

Rachel said she was looking forward to seeing people at the event: “I’m going to be a race marshal, giving out medals and speaking to people.

“I have fond memories of the town because I went to Scarborough College to take a leisure studies course in 1988 and lived there for two years.

“Scarborough Race for Life is always a really fun one for me. What’s lovely about it is that you get to run or walk along the coast. The atmosphere is great and the locals always turn out to support people taking part.

“It’s one of my favourite events and it does mean I can get a naughty fish and chips afterwards.”

Every year, around 32,800 people are diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire & the Humber,  and one in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime.

The first Race for Life event was held in Battersea, London in 1994, where 750 participants raised £48,000. It was so successful that the following year, the race was extended to six venues across the UK. Today around 450 Race for Life events are held every year and since it began more than £940 million has been raised to fund life-saving research.

The Race for Life events at Sea Life Scarborough on Wednesday May 24 are open to people of all ages and abilities.  

Women, men and children can choose from 3k, 5k and 10k events.

Michaela Robinson-Tate, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Yorkshire, said: “We are grateful to Rachel for her support.  

“We’d love for as many people as possible across Yorkshire to join us during our 30th year of Race for Life. Sadly, cancer affects all of us in some way.  

“We’ve seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years thanks to the tireless efforts of researchers, but this can only happen with the continued support of fundraisers up and down the country. 

“Together we can bring about a future free from the fear of cancer. So we’re asking people across Yorkshire: Who will you Race for?”