Swim 10k Challenge FAQs
Sign up to the challenge
Take on the challenge and raise money for life-saving cancer research.
Sign up for free and you'll receive:
- FREE CRUK branded swimming cap & t-shirt
- Online Giving Page
- Digital fundraising pack
Supporters raise money by challenging themselves to swim 10km in whatever way they choose over the month of June.
Once you have signed up, join the Facebook group dedicated to this challenge by clicking 'Join Group': https://www.facebook.com/groups/1857795611701982
Once you're in, you can complete a form to get your free swim cap and t-shirt, get tips for completing your distance, be inspired by other fundraisers, and find out anything you want to know about the challenge.
Sure, if you don’t have Facebook, you can set up a Giving Page using the link below and collect sponsorship that way:
https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/swim-10k-challenge-june-2025
There is no entry fee for this challenge. Participants are required to collect sponsorship for Cancer Research UK through their online Giving Page. This will automatically be sent to us once paid onto your fundraising page.
Whilst we encourage everyone to complete this challenge in June, this is a personal challenge, and you can start and finish your challenge at any time that is convenient for you. You can make up your kilometres at any point in the month and continue the challenge into July.
Supporters are challenged to complete 10 kilometres in the month of June. They can choose to break this down however they like. This could be into 1km swim a week, or smaller swims multiple times a week.
To put this into perspective, 2.5km = 100 x 25m lengths, or 50 x 50m lengths.
It doesn’t matter if you take on this challenge at your local swimming baths, lido, or outdoor spots, there are lots of ways to complete the challenge and raise money for life-saving research. Ideas include:
- Take a dip in the sea
- Visit your local lake or loch
- Visit a local lido
- Visit your local swimming baths or leisure centre
If you’re unsure about whether the weather will cause sunburn/skin damage, please check the UV forecast here: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/uv-index-forecast/#?tab=map&map=MaxUVIndex&zoom=5&lon=-4.00&lat=55.71&fcTime=1653879600
If you're swimming outside, use plenty of sunscreen with SPF 15+ with a 4 or 5 * rating which will sufficiently protect your skin (and apply everywhere, not just exposed skin!). Apply regularly throughout your swim, during and after.
You can find further information via the CRUK website at: cruk.org/sun
The only thing that matters is that you challenge yourself and try your best to complete as much of the challenge as you can. Whether that’s completing your 10K for the whole of June or not, the money that you fundraise through participating will allow Cancer Research UK to continue to fund life-saving research, and we can’t thank you enough.
If you’re attempting the challenge outdoors, please wear a t-shirt during your challenge to help retain body heat. You may also like to wear other items of clothing, such as a wetsuit to aid buoyancy and make you more comfortable in the water. If in the outdoors (sea, loch, lake, etc) we recommend neoprene gloves and booties. Ultimately you should wear what you are comfortable with and will keep you warm.
If you are planning to wear a tracking device, make sure it’s waterproof before entering the water.
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It’s important that you’re well prepared for your swim, especially if haven't swum for a while. See below a list of appropriate equipment you might want to consider:
- Swimsuit / swim shorts
- Goggles
- Sunscreen
- Ear plugs
- Nose clip
There are many hazards to swimming in a reservoir; therefore, we advise against using them.
- Reservoirs can be deceptively deep with unexpected drops which aren’t visible from outside of the water
- Reservoirs are often in isolated places, making it difficult to receive immediate help
- Hidden pipes and machinery can be hazardous
- The sides can be steep and difficult to get out from
- There may be hidden obstacles, rubbish, broken glass, etc that people have discarded, and may cause injury
- The temperature tends to be very low
The minimum age for participation is 18. Anyone under this age should not undertake the Swim 10k challenge.
Strava or Fitbit are free apps that will allow you to track your distance, please bear in mind that if you’re using a tracking device, you should ensure that it’s waterproof!
Find out how to connect your Giving Page to Strava here: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/strava
Find out how to connect your Giving Page to Fitbit here: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/fitbit
*Please note: Sometimes there is a 48-hour lag in the Strava/Fitbit data being updated, and if the kilometres still aren't showing, disconnect and reconnect to do a hard reset and this will add any miles already on the Strava account
Complete the below form to receive your free swim cap and t-shirt in the post. Once completed, please allow 15 working days for your merchandise to arrive:
https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/swim-10k-challenge-june-2025
During registration, we offer the option for people to opt out of being sent a swim cap and t-shirt should they not want these for the challenge. When filling out the sign-up form, simply select ‘no’ where it asks if you’d like to receive the items; you’ll still receive an online Giving Page, be able to join the challenge group, and take part!
To sign up to the challenge, please follow the link below:
https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/swim-10k-challenge-june-2025
If you have any further questions please email supporter.services@cancer.org.uk or call 0300 1231022 (lines open 08:00 – 20:00 Monday to Friday and, 09:00 – 17:00 at weekends)
Unfortunately, returning merchandise comes at a cost to Cancer Research UK, therefore, we ask that you keep hold of it for personal use (for example bed, gym, give to a friend, etc). If you would like a replacement, please purchase these using our online shop linked below:
https://shop.cancerresearchuk.org/products/cancer-research-uk-swimming-cap
Sending out merchandise comes at a cost to Cancer Research UK so please only order one pair of merchandise per fundraiser to ensure as much money goes towards our life-saving research as possible. We ask for everyone requesting merchandise to donate something to their fundraising page.
Alternatively, additional t-shirts and swim caps can be purchased: here and here.
We trust you! You don’t need to provide evidence that you’ve completed the challenge to us. However, updating your friends and family on your fundraising page is important.
Make sure you keep them posted on your progress and share videos and photos throughout the month of the challenge – the more updates the better.
Participants must register as individuals but can take on the challenge in a team. You can split the activity up between a group or you can all complete 10km across the month. To raise money together, you can set up a Team Giving Page once you’ve registered and received your individual pages. To do this follow these steps:
To set up a team:
- All your team will need to sign up to the Swim 10k in June Challenge so they each have their own online Giving Page
- Once everyone has signed up, log into your account
- Hit the 'Create new team' button and follow the instructions
- Once you've created your team, you can send the team page URL to friends and family so they can join too!
We don’t set a fundraising target for participants, but we recommend that supporters set themselves a reasonable target of raising £150 or more.
Unfortunately, medals come at a large cost to the charity so we will not be sending these out. However, we will send all participants a certificate at the end of the challenge in their completion email. You can also access downloadable digital badges to shout about your achievement on social media.
You can use our sponsor form: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/downloadable-resources/swim_10k_challenge_june_05.pdf to raise money rather than using an online method. Simply download and print off to keep track of all your sponsorship collected or pledged. Once you have completed your fundraising, please send the form with a cheque to:
Swim 10k Challenge in June, Cancer Research UK, PO BOX 1561, Oxford, OX4 9GZ.
Please note we are currently experiencing a delay in receiving and processing donations so do bear with us if it takes a little longer than usual to receive an acknowledgment.
This challenge is specifically a fundraising initiative developed by Cancer Research UK, and therefore all fundraising must go directly to the charity.
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. If the donation is eligible for Gift Aid, sponsors need to fill out the sponsor form, following the guidelines at the top of the page.
Why has my Facebook fundraiser ended early?
Facebook Fundraisers are automatically set up to only stay open for ten days. To make the most of your fundraising efforts, you need to change the end date to keep your fundraiser open throughout and after the challenge. To change the end date simply, click ‘More’ under the invite button, then click ‘Edit Fundraiser’. We recommend setting this date to at least a month after your challenge has ended so you can continue to collect vital donations for your efforts!
If my Facebook Fundraiser has closed, can I reactivate it?
Unfortunately, once your Facebook Fundraiser has finished you cannot reopen the same fundraising page. However, you can create a new one and set the end date for past your challenge, so that you can continue receiving donations once you’ve finished your challenge: http://www.facebook.com/fund/cancerresearchuk/
How do I find previous Facebook Fundraisers?
To see your past fundraisers, go to the Facebook home page on a desktop and look underneath your name on the left-hand side - click fundraisers > your activity > scroll down the page until you reach "your past fundraisers"
Is it safe to donate to Facebook? Or if you have noticed any unusual charges.
Donating on Facebook is safe and secure and there is no fee taken from Facebook to set up a Facebook Fundraiser. If you have any suspicious charges, we recommend speaking directly to your bank. If you have any questions about your Facebook Fundraiser please contact Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/help