Big Hike Rules 2023

These rules (“the Rules”) apply to Cancer Research UK’s Big Hike (the “Event(s)”), and by registering for the Event you are agreeing to comply with them. Please check this page from time to time, as we may occasionally amend the Rules and any changes will be binding on all participants and supporters. 

If you have any questions, please contact Cancer Research UK on 0300 123 1022* and a member of our team will be happy to assist you. 

The Event is organised by Cancer Research UK Trading Limited (a company registered in England and Wales, registered office: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ, registered company number: 4355631), a trading company which Gift Aids its taxable profits to Cancer Research UK (a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666). the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247)).  

Each Event consists of approximately a marathon distance challenge event, on foot, in iconic UK locations. Each Event (including the route design and on-the-day Event management) will be delivered by a third-party provider, Hike Events Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales, registered office: 6 The Grove, Worcester, England, WR3 7NZ, United Kingdom, registered company number: 11886167) for Cancer Research UK 

There will be four separate Events in 2023: 

  • Cancer Research UK’s Big Hike Peak District on Saturday 3rd June 2023 

  • Cancer Research UK’s Big Hike Loch Lomond on Saturday 10th June 2023 

  • Cancer Research UK’s Big Hike South Coast on Saturday 1st July 2023 

  • Cancer Research UK’s Big Hike Jurassic Coast on Saturday 8th July 2023 

Note: All four events will offer ‘full marathon’ and ‘half marathon’ distance options. 

Where reference is made to “CRUK” in these Rules, it means both Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research UK Trading Limited. 

Participant Entry 

  1. There is an entry fee of £25.00 per entrant to participate in an Event. 

  1. Entry fees for an Event are fixed unless a sales promotion is taking place, or a promotional or corporate voucher is used which covers all or some of the entry fee. 

  1. Your Event place will not be confirmed until payment has been processed and you have received an email from us acknowledging that a place has been allocated to you at the relevant Event.  

  1. Unfortunately given the limited number of spaces for the Event, the entry fee is non-refundable unless we change the Event venue, time and/or date in a material way and you are no longer able to attend the Event, or if we cancel the Event altogether. We ask that you let us know as soon as possible if you need or want to withdraw from your Event for any reason. 

  1. In the event that we need to change the venue and/or date of your Event, we will notify you of this change as soon as possible. Your Event place will be automatically transferred to the re-scheduled Event unless you tell us you are no longer able to attend. In these circumstances you can either ask for a refund of your entry fee, or you can choose to donate this to Cancer Research UK. 

  1. All of our Big Hike events are designed to be as close as possible to full marathon (26.2 miles) and half marathon (13.1 miles) distance. However sometimes due to accessibility and venue practicalities, our final routes may be slightly over or slightly under these figures. The exact mileage and incline figures for your event can be found on the relevant event web page. 

  1. Entry places in the Event are personal to participants and you may not transfer your place to anyone else, as it may cause problems of identification in the event that medical assistance is required during the Event, for example. 

  1. Big Hike entry packs (including your t-shirt, hiker number and back sign) will be issued to registered participants by post from 1st April 2023 onwards. If you register for your Event before 1st April 2023, your pack should arrive no later than 1st May 2023. If you register for your Event after 1st April 2023, your pack should arrive no later than 1 month after your date of registration. However, if your Big Hike entry pack does not arrive within these timeframes, please feel free to call our team on 0300 123 1022* and we will advise you of the appropriate arrangements to either issue a replacement pack, or alternatively collect a replacement pack on the day. 

  1. If you register within 3 weeks of the Event date, please be aware that your entry pack (including t-shirt, hiker number and back sign) will be available to collect from the Information Desk on the day of the Event.  

  1. The Events are open to both men and women.  

  1. Each Event is subject to various age restrictions as set out below, which relate to the age of the participant on the day of the relevant Event. Participants must be able to provide proof of age on the day. We reserve the right to refuse entry to an Event, with no refund, to any participant who is under age, or is unable to provide proof of age when requested to do so by an Event official.  

  1. Only registered participants aged 16 or over on the day of the Event who have paid the entry fee (or had the fee paid for them) are eligible to take part. Unfortunately, we do not accept entries under the ages specified for health and safety reasons. 

  1. Participants aged 16 to 17 (inclusive) on the day of the Event must be registered in addition to, and accompanied by, another participant aged 18 or over. Participants aged 18 or over will be able to register an extra participant aged between 16 to 17 in the entry form on our website and will be required to enter parental or legal guardian contact details for extra participants aged under 18. If you are registering an extra participant who is under 18, you must have permission from that person’s parent or legal guardian.  

  1. Event entry will close when maximum participant capacity is reached, but no later than 3 days before the date of the Event. We are unable to accept any entries on the day of the Event. 

Volunteer Entry 

1. The Event is open to volunteers aged 16 or over on the day of the Event. If you wish to volunteer, you can do so here. If you are aged between 16 and 17 (inclusive), you will need to confirm that you have permission from your parent or legal guardian.  

2. If you are aged between 16 and 17 (inclusive) on the day of the Event, you will need to be accompanied on the day by a parent or guardian who has also registered as a volunteer in advance. You will not be able to volunteer if your parent/guardian is not with you on the day. 

Access 

1. Unfortunately due to the nature of the challenge, wheelchair users and mobility scooter users are not allowed to take part in the Event. The health and safety of our participants is very important to us and we cannot guarantee that each type of wheelchair and mobility scooter will be able to manoeuvre the route. 

2. Unfortunately, no pets (except service dogs), baby strollers/prams or roller skates/blades, skateboards and/or scooters or any other item that we deem unsuitable or which could potentially inhibit or affect the safety of other participants and/or spectators are allowed on the Event course.  

3. At the beginning of the Event, certain areas will be restricted to participants only.  Spectators will be able to view from key designated areas, subject to any further guidelines or restrictions we are required to implement for the health and safety of all our participants and spectators. 

4. Wheelchair users and mobility scooter users will be able to view from key designated spectator areas, providing they have their own assistance at the venues, subject to any further guidelines or restrictions we are required to implement for the health and safety of all our participants and spectators. All spectator areas are accessible by wheelchair and mobility scooter.  

Start times for the Events (arrival window) 

For all Big Hike events in 2023, there will be an allocated ‘arrival window’. Therefore, on the day of your event, please report to the event site at any point during the allocated arrival window times. Please refer to the relevant event web page for full details of the arrival window for your specific event location.   

Upon arrival, you will be directed (or transferred) to the start area, where you will receive your safety briefing, before getting your Big Hike underway. If you are a slower walker, you may want to consider arriving earlier in the arrival window. If you are a faster walker, you may want to consider arriving later in the arrival window. Please arrive at the time which is appropriate for you, but please don’t miss the arrival window. 

Please note: 

  • You don’t need to inform us of your intended arrival time, but it’s important that you don’t miss the arrival window. 

  • Participants arriving late must abide by the instructions and decisions of the Event Manager; for health and safety reasons it is possible that latecomers will not be permitted to take part. 

  • Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee your exact start time, and there may be some waiting on the day. 

  • Arrival window times may be subject to change. We will give you as much notice of this as possible, though unfortunately sometimes it may not be possible to do this until your arrival at your event. 

More information on arrival window times will be provided in your participant e-mails and welcome pack.  

Changes and Last Minute Arrangements

 1. Once you have registered you can only transfer to another Event with our permission. This is because we have strict capacity limits for each event location, and for health and safety reasons we need to make sure that none of the Event exceed their individual capacity.  If you do wish to transfer to another Event location or distance option, please contact CRUK on 0300 123 1022* and we will endeavour to support your request. In the event that we can accommodate a change, you will incur a £5 administration charge to cover the administration of the transfer and the cost of the production and distribution of your entry pack. This will include your new hiker number and event details. 

2. We reserve the right to refuse entry to participants who try to take part in the wrong Event without prior approval (see rule 1 above), and no refund will be provided. 

3. We reserve the right to alter or reduce any Event course. No refunds will be due in these circumstances although we will try to notify participants in advance of any material changes where we are able to do so. 

Conduct 

1. All participants and supporters must abide by the Rules and any rules, instructions or regulations displayed or given on the day of the Event by police and/or Event officials. 

2. We respectfully ask all participants along with their supporters not to use aggressive or abusive language towards our Event organisers, marshals, officials, volunteers and other participants. You should also avoid behaving in a way which may cause injury or harm to other participants and/or spectators, or which may cause offence or damage the reputation of CRUK. 

3. Spectators are not permitted to walk the route with participants. Everyone taking part in the Event must be a registered participant. 

4. We respectfully ask all participants along with their supporters to be respectful of local residents whilst out on the route and not to make any excessive noise. 

5. We respectfully ask all participants and their supporters to use the litter and recycling facilities available within the venues and around the course. Please respect the communities you are walking through and do not drop litter but carry it with you until you can dispose of it responsibly. 

6. CRUK opposes the promotion and use of tobacco in all its forms. All participants and supporters are therefore required to refrain from smoking tobacco products or using e-cigarettes at the Event. 

7. We reserve the right to ask participants and supporters to leave the Event if they do not adhere to these Rules, and no refunds shall be given in these circumstances. 

Closure of Course and Finish Venue 

1. We reserve the right to shut down the Event course and close access to all our finish venues at each Event at 8pm on the day of the Event. 

2. Any participant who has not finished the Event by this time but chooses to continue does so at their own risk with the understanding that they are no longer considered a participant of the Event, and as such are not eligible for any Event resources (including but not limited to pit stops, suppliers, venues, refreshments, course direction/support, personnel etc), and that they absolve us of any and all responsibility and progress entirely at their own risk. 

Health and Safety and Medical 

1. Participants are responsible for ensuring that they are sufficiently fit and healthy to take part in the Event. Any participant unsure of their physical ability to take part in an Event must seek medical advice from their General Practitioner prior to the Event. 

2. Notwithstanding rule 1 above, we reserve the right to refuse entry to an Event in our absolute discretion, with no refund provided, if for whatever reason we consider a person unfit to take part. We may also ask you to withdraw during an Event if we have concerns about your ability to complete it due to fitness, injury or otherwise. If you choose to continue you do so with the understanding that you are no longer considered a participant of the Event and that you absolve us of all and any responsibility, and progress entirely at your own risk. 

3. The Event is a non-competitive walk, and participants are reminded that running is not allowed.  For health and safety reasons, all personnel have been instructed not to permit runners to take part in the Event. If you do run on the day then you will not be considered an official participant of the Event, and as such you will not be eligible to use any Event resources (including but not limited to pit stops, suppliers, access to the finish venue, refreshments, course direction/support, personnel etc.). You understand that by running you absolve us of any and all responsibility, and that you progress entirely at your own risk. 

4. Participants are requested to wear suitable hiking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Participants are responsible for ensuring that they are wearing appropriate attire (including footwear) when taking part in an Event, taking into account the nature of the Event, the weather forecast and the terrain involved.     

5. All participants must write the following on the reverse of their hiker number, which must be worn on the front of shirts during the Event: 

  • your name 

  • details of any health problems or current medication 

  • the name and number of a person to contact in case of an emergency 

  • any other information you consider could be relevant in the event of a medical emergency 

6. In some situations (i.e. bad light/inclement weather), our event delivery team reserve the right to enforce cut off times to protect the health and safety of participants and staff. Any cut off times will be clearly communicated to participants during the safety briefing before you begin your Event and/or at the relevant support points. Where participants miss a support point cut off time, you will be provided with transport back to the start/finish venue. 

7. We take all reasonable steps to minimise the risk of injury to participants during fundraising events. There is a stringent risk assessment process in place for the Events, which aims to minimise or eliminate the risk to everyone taking part. By taking part in an Event, all participants acknowledge that there may be conditions or circumstances beyond our control that can lead to unforeseen risks. If you have any concerns or queries, please contact us on 0300 123 1022* before agreeing to take part in an Event. 

Sponsorship Monies and Donations 

1. To help us beat cancer sooner, we ask each Event participant to try and raise at least £250 for CRUK. 

2. All participants have a legal responsibility to ensure that all sponsorship monies/donations received in connection with an Event are paid to CRUK. We ask that you do this as soon as possible after the Event. Money pledged via online fundraising pages is collected automatically. You can: 

Cancer Research UK 
PO Box 1561 
Oxford 
OX4 9GZ 

stating “Cancer Research UK’s Big Hike” and your walking number or Unique Reference Number on the reverse of the cheque. 

3. Please note that we are unable to accept your sponsorship money on the day of the Event as CRUK does not have the suitable cash handling facilities to fulfil this process. 

4. Please ensure that all donations and/or sponsorship forms are filled out in full and returned to CRUK at the above address to enable us to claim Gift Aid where possible. 

Use of your information 

1. When you register for an Event we collect personal data relating to you and anyone else that you register.  We will use this information for the purposes of organising, staging and administering the Event, including in order to send you your fundraising pack and additional information about fundraising. If you provide personal information on behalf of additional entrants, please only provide this if they have confirmed that they are happy for you to do so as we will use this information for the same purposes. 

2. Following your registration we will contact you with information about your Event, including to discuss ways to improve your fundraising and hints and tips to support your preparation for your Event. This may include information about how you can get hold of CRUK merchandise and offers from our partner organisations.  

3. In the case of an emergency, we may also pass personal details provided by you (either the information you provided when registering for the Event or from the details on the reverse of your Event number) to the emergency services or health care professionals, and also use them for the purposes of contacting your emergency contact.  

4. First aid facilities will be provided at the Event. If you are treated by medical providers, your details may be passed on to us only for health and safety purposes and in order to fulfil our legal obligations (including under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013). All accident details will be securely held on the Cancer Research UK Accident Database. 

5. Your personal information may also be used for the purposes of sending communications to you where you have confirmed that you would like to receive further information about the charity’s work when registering for an Event.  

6. All personal data held by us will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws and CRUK’s privacy statement which can be found here. 

7. We may appoint an independent third-party chipped timing company to record and track participants’ timings and locations around the Event course.  Their service includes uploading the chipped timing results onto our website and/or the chipped timing company website which is open to all members of the public.  We will pass on participants’ full name, phone number and walking number to the relevant company to enable participants to receive text messages. If you would prefer that we did not pass on your details and/or you do not wish to have your finish time displayed on the CRUK/chipped timing company website, please call 0300 123 1022*. 

Filming and Photography  

1. Please note that CRUK (or our authorised service providers and agents) or our commercial partners may film or photograph participants, volunteers and spectators taking part or attending the Event and use such footage or photographs for the following purposes: 

  • for CRUK to publicise the Event for commercial and/or fundraising purposes including, but not limited to, social media, television broadcasts, advertising, publications, marketing material, merchandising, and other documents that may be made available to the public; 

  • for our commercial partners to publicise their involvement and/or association with the Event.  

2. No personal details (including names or photographs) of anyone under the age of 16 will be used in the manner described above without the written consent of that child’s parent or legal guardian, but we may use images where children are incidentally included, for example, spectators at the start area.  

Liability 

1. Use of the CRUK website is subject to our website terms and conditions. 

2. All participants, volunteers and spectators attend and enter an Event entirely at their own risk. CRUK shall not be liable for any injury or loss to persons or their property that might occur as a result of their participation in or attendance at the Event other than in respect of any injury or loss arising as a result of our negligence. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this clause shall limit our liability for any other liability that cannot be restricted or excluded by law. 

Merchandise 

1. Stocks of our participant t-shirts and vests are limited. We will endeavour to meet every request, however in the event that the size or fit requested is not available then we will send you an alternative based on availability. 

2. All participants understand that any products distributed by CRUK at an Event are subject to availability and may be withdrawn or substituted if necessary.  

 

* Our lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.00pm (except bank holidays). Please note that calls to our hotline may be monitored or recorded to allow us to maintain our standards of customer service.