10 Days of 5k Challenge FAQs

Supporters raise money by challenging themselves to complete 10 days of 5k throughout the month of October.  

Once you’ve signed up, join the Facebook group dedicated to this challenge and click 'Join Group'. Once you're in, you can complete a form to get your free running top, get tips for completing your kilometres, be inspired by other fundraisers and find out anything you want to know about the challenge. 

Yes! If you don’t have Facebook, you can set up a Cancer Research UK online Giving Page and collect sponsorship for your 10 Days of 5k Challenge. 

There’s no entry fee for this challenge, but we do ask that you fundraise for Cancer Research UK through your online Giving Page. All donations to the page will automatically be sent to us.

While we encourage everyone to complete this challenge in October, this is a personal challenge and you can start and finish at a time that’s convenient for you. If you have difficulty completing your kilometres, then you can make up for it at any point of the month and continue the challenge into November. 

There are people of all levels of fitness doing this challenge. The important thing is that you're doing something that challenges you. This will vary from person to person, so tailor the challenge however you like.  It should be tough, but doable. However, you choose to break down the 5k runs, whether you complete them outside or indoors on a treadmill, you’ll be helping us beat cancer.

There are plenty of free apps that will allow you to track your runs such as Strava, Nike Run Club and RunKeeper.  

We recommend using Strava so you can link your Strava account to your online Giving Page. Posting your progress on your page will help encourage donations!  

Find out how to connect your Giving Page to Strava  

Of course! You can complete your kilometres whatever way works best for you.

There are plenty of ways you can hit your weekly target – attempt to make up the miles with a couple of shorter runs or save them all for a big run at the weekend!   

The only thing that matters is that you try your best to complete as much of the challenge as you can. Whether that’s completing all your kilometres in October or not, the money you raise will allow us to keep funding life-saving research. Whatever you manage to achieve, we can’t thank you enough.     

We trust you! You don’t need to provide evidence that you’ve completed the challenge to us, but your friends and family will want some updates! Make sure you keep them posted on your progress and share videos and photos throughout October – the more updates the better. Supporters that post their progress raise 40% more on average.  

We recommend you connect your Giving Page to Fitbit or Strava so you can track your steps or miles automatically.  

Please note: With Strava there’s sometimes a 48-hour lag in the data being updated. If your kilometres still aren't showing after this time, disconnect and reconnect to do a hard reset and this will add any miles already on the Strava account.  

Warming up properly before running will help prevent injury and should only take five minutes.   

• March on the spot for up to 3 minutes – Start off marching on the spot and then march forwards and backwards. Pump your arms up and down in rhythm with your steps, keeping the elbows bent and the fists soft.  

• Heel dig for 1 minute – To do heel digs, place alternate heels to the front, keeping the front foot pointing up, and punch out with each heel dig. Keep a slight bend in the supporting leg.  

• Knee lifts for 30 seconds - To do knee lifts, stand tall and bring up alternate knees to touch the opposite hand. Keep your abs tight and back straight. Keep a slight bend in the supporting leg.  

• Shoulder rolls for two sets of 10 repetitions – For shoulder rolls, keep marching on the spot. Roll your shoulders forwards 5 times and backwards 5 times. Let your arms hang loose by your sides.  

• Knee bends for 10 repetitions – To do knee bends, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands stretched out. Lower yourself no more than 10cm by bending your knees. Come up and repeat.  

Read more NHS information and guidance on these warm-ups.    

Of course you can! Some top tips for running on a hot day include:   

• Wearing a damp, cool bandana   
• Hydrating before, during and after your run  
• Running in the cooler parts of the day and in shade where possible  
• Wearing light-coloured clothes to reflect the sun’s rays and a breathable cap to keep the sun from your scalp 
• Avoiding tight clothes and switching to thinner socks   
• Applying sunscreen to protect your skin  
• Using insect repellent If you’re sensitive to insect bites 

Find more information about sun safety. 
  
Remember to listen to your body and don’t push yourself If you’re feeling fatigued or dizzy. Stop for rests and if urgent, seek medical attention.  

For more information on running in different types of weather, see these guides:   

Cold weather running: 

• https://www.runnersneed.com/expert-advice/gear-guides/winter-run-layering-guide.html  

Running tips for beginners:  

• https://www.runnersneed.com/expert-advice/training/a-complete-beginners-guide-to-running.html  
• https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/beginners/a40088632/running-tips-for-beginners/  

Running in the sun:  

•  https://www.runnersneed.com/expert-advice/training/run-in-the-sun.html  
• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/   

Safety in the dark: 

• https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20835863/nighttime-safety-tips-for-runners/   

It’s not unusual to encounter bad weather when you’re out running in the UK! It’s important you have the right equipment and approach if you’re running in adverse weather. Alternatively, it’s more than ok for you to complete the kilometres on a treadmill at home or the gym. 
 
When running in adverse weather, remember to check your route and know your trail – understanding your surroundings will help you avoid difficult terrain and stick to safer, flat surfaces.  

Here’s some useful equipment to take with you in bad weather: 

• Waterproof clothing 

• Neck warmer/buff

• Water and food  

• Mobile phone  

It’s important that you’re well prepared for your run, especially if you’re going to be running a long distance.

Here’s a list of equipment you might want to consider: 

• Running shorts or tights 

• Sunscreen 

• Running top or light t-shirt 

• Sun hat or cap if it's warm 

• Sunglasses if it's warm 

• Water, along with rehydration and glucose supplements 

• Running trainers 

• Running socks 

• A sports bra 

• A snack to help maintain energy levels 

• Winter-weight running tights or thermal tights if it's cold  

• Long-sleeved jacket if it's cold  

Waterproof jacket and shoes if it's raining outside.

Complete this form to receive your free running top in the post. Once completed, please allow 10-15 working days for it to arrive.

Please make sure you review the size chart before selecting your size, as we won’t be able to send another t-shirt.  

If you haven’t received your t-shirt within this time, please contact supporter.services@cancer.org.uk. 

Unfortunately, returning t-shirts come at a cost to us, so we ask that you keep hold of it for personal use (you could wear it in bed, at the gym or give it to a friend).

Sending out your running top comes at a cost to us, so please only order one running top to make sure as much money as possible goes towards our life-saving work. If you do request another running top, we ask that you set up a Giving Page and make a donation.  

You’ll receive a certificate in your completion email at the end of the challenge, and you can access downloadable digital badges to shout about your achievement on social media. 

Unfortunately, medals come at a significant cost to us, so we won’t be sending these out so we can spend more on our life-saving work.

Setting up an online Giving Page is the easiest way to raise money. You can set one up here: https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/10-days-5ks-challenge-oct-2025  
It's then easy to share the page with your friends and gather sponsorship for your challenge.  

We don’t set a fundraising target for participants, but we recommend supporters set a reasonable target of raising around £150. 

The first tip is to log in to your page and take a few minutes to personalise it. You can add a photo, update the 'My Story' section to share why raising funds for this cause is important to you.

Second tip is, if you're able to, kick-start the fundraising by adding your own donation to your Online giving page. It can often help to get things going - it's a bit like making sure your friends aren't the first guests at a party.

And the third and final tip is to share a post on your social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, anything you use) to tell people about your challenge - and make sure to share the link to your Online giving page in the post.

Remember, any donation can make a difference. As little as £3 could buy a pair of safety goggles to keep our scientists safe while they conduct their cutting-edge experiments.

£5 can fund a lab technician for over 30 minutes, ensuring researchers are equipped with everything they need to beat cancer.

£10 can buy 250 plastic test tubes to help carry out cancer-fighting experiments.

£15 can buy agarose gel, which is a vital component for a technique that scientists use to measure the length of pieces of DNA.

£20 could buy antibiotics to keep the cells studied by our scientists free from infections.

Yes absolutely! You can raise your fundraising target on your online Giving Page at any time. Supporters who increase their fundraising target raise an average of 51% more than those who don’t, so why not head over to your page and raise yours!

You can use our sponsorship form to raise money offline. Simply download and print off the form to keep track of all your sponsorship collected or pledged. Once you’ve completed your fundraising, please send the form with a cheque to:  

10 Days of 5k Challenge in October, Cancer Research UK, PO BOX 1561, Oxford, OX4 9GZ.

10 Days of 5k Challenge is a fundraising initiative specifically developed by us, therefore all money raised must go solely to Cancer Research UK.  

Gift Aid is a tax relief allowing UK charities to reclaim an extra 25% on every eligible donation made by a UK taxpayer. This means Cancer Research UK can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated, without it costing you or your sponsors an extra penny. For a donation to be eligible for Gift Aid, sponsors need to fill out the sponsorship form following the instructions at the top of the page.

Yes. If you don’t have Facebook, you can set up an online Giving Page and collect sponsorship for your kilometres that way.

We have plenty of fundraising materials and ideas to help you raise life-saving donations. Visit our fundraising hub to find everything you need for your challenge: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-an-event/10-days-of-5...

In your emails, you’ll receive a link to fundraising materials which you can download. No physical copies will be sent of any fundraising materials.

Yes, under-18s can take part in this challenge, but we don’t market to them and any third-party platform forums (such as Facebook forums) are only available to people over 18. If under-18s are taking part, their parent or guardian must consent to the child’s participation, supervise the challenge and accept responsibility for complying with the challenge rules. The child’s parent or guardian must register on the child’s behalf and if a child wants to raise money online and/or join a forum, the child’s parent or guardian must register for an online fundraising page and/or join the forum on the child’s behalf. 

Participants must register as individuals, but you can then set up a team Giving Page to take on the challenge and raise money together.  

Here’s how:  

1. All your team will need to sign up to the 10 Days of 5k in October Challenge so you each have your own online Giving Page  

2. Once everyone has signed up, log into your account  

3. Hit the 'Create new team' button and follow the instructions  

4. Once you've created your team, you can send the team page URL to friends and family so they can join too!  

Once you’ve created your team, you can either split up your runs across the group or each complete the runs across the month. You can also invite other people to join via our online fundraising site.