Why sponsoring Race for Life could be your brand’s moment of truth

In today’s highly competitive landscape, marketing leaders face a growing challenge: how to build brands that not only perform commercially but also connect deeply with people’s values, emotions and hopes for a better future. It’s a big ask – but one powerful way to meet it is by partnering with a cause that truly matters.

That’s where Race for Life comes in. As the UK’s largest and most iconic charity fundraising event series, it brings together over a million people each year, from participants to spectators, in a shared mission to save lives through research. Organised by Cancer Research UK, this nationwide movement spans 150 locations and touches hearts across the country. And for only the second time in 24 years, the opportunity to become headline sponsor is open from 2026.

From purpose to performance

This is about a partnership with purpose. It’s about aligning your brand with something bigger – something that inspires action, builds trust, deepens customer relationships and creates lasting impact. In a world where customers expect more, Race for Life offers a rare chance to show what your brand truly stands for.

Customer expectations are changing. People want to support brands that stand for something. Studies consistently show that customers are more likely to buy from – and stay loyal to – brands that take clear, authentic stands on issues they really care about.

Health is one of those issues, and cancer is the defining health challenge of our time, with nearly one in two people diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

Cancer Research UK is the world’s largest charitable funder of cancer research, and in the last 50 years its pioneering work has helped double cancer survival in the UK. But there’s so much more to do. By partnering with Race for Life, you’ll be joining a nationwide community with a shared mission of beating cancer.

83% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from brands that support causes they care about.

Edelman Trust Barometer

Race for Life is more than a run or a walk; it’s a deeply personal, emotionally charged act of solidarity. When brands partner with Race for Life, they’re not simply adding a logo to an event – they’re joining a movement, and it’s a powerful platform for brands to turn purpose into performance.

From a commercial perspective, this emotional resonance translates into real business benefits:

• Brand affinity: Sponsorship creates a powerful ‘halo effect’. Associating your brand with the UK’s most loved charity reinforces values like integrity, care and community.
• Mass reach and visibility: With hundreds of events taking place across the UK and millions reached through earned and paid media, Race for Life offers national impact with local relevance.
• Customer engagement: Activate with customers in ways that are meaningful, memorable and motivating. Whether through sampling, experiential campaigns or digital storytelling, sponsors become part of people’s personal journeys.
• Staff involvement: Inspire and unite your teams through participation, volunteering and fundraising. It’s a proven driver of employee pride and culture.
• ESG impact: With environmental, social and governance concerns high on the C-suite agenda, Race for Life delivers clear social value in a transparent, measurable way.

Flexibility to fit your objectives

Cancer Research UK understands that no two brands are the same. That’s why it works flexibly with partners to co-create partnerships that meet specific objectives – whether that’s shifting brand perception, strengthening emotional connections with customers, increasing footfall or engaging communities – ultimately driving sales.

Some seek national scale, others want local relevance. Some prioritise customer engagement, others see employee mobilisation as key. Whatever your priorities, Cancer Research UK will help you tailor a sponsorship that works – for your brand, for the cause and for the communities we serve.

A partnership that delivers more

Race for Life is a unique platform because it brings together the emotional power of a cause with the operational excellence of a national campaign. It’s inclusive, accessible and built on community. And it has proven time and again to deliver real, lasting impact.

Race for Life has partnered with brands like Tesco, NIVEA Sun, Standard Life and ScottishPower – each with very different goals, all united by a desire to do good business whilst doing good.

Now, Cancer Research UK is looking for the next headline sponsor. A brand that sees the value of being front and centre in one of the UK’s most beloved campaigns. A brand that wants to drive purpose with performance. A brand that understands the power of people coming together to make a difference, to help bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.

Our invitation

If that sounds like your brand, Cancer Research UK would love to talk. Because when done well, a partnership like this isn’t just great for business – it’s good for the world.

Contact: racepartnerships@cancer.org.uk

Mark Evans held senior marketing, customer and leadership roles at Direct Line Group, HSBC and Mars, and is now a trustee of Cancer Research UK.

Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247)