Walk 30 Miles Challenge FAQs

We're asking supporters to raise money by challenging themselves to walk 30 miles in the month of September, this works out as 1 mile a day. You can take on the challenge any way that suits you - solo or as a team.

1 - 30 September 2024.

Whilst we encourage everyone to complete this challenge throughout the month of September, this is a personal challenge, and you can start/finish your challenge at a time that is convenient for you. 

Once you have signed up, join the Facebook Group dedicated to this challenge here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/451216697804921

Click 'Join Group'. Once you're in, you can get tips for walking 30 miles in September, be inspired by other fundraisers and find out anything you want to know about the challenge.  

Unfortunately, medals come at a huge cost to the charity so we will not be sending these out. However, we will send all supporters a certificate in their completion email at the end of the challenge and they can access downloadable digital badges to shout about their achievement on social. 

It's important that you’re well equipped for your walk, especially if you’re considering going for a long-distance walk. See below a list of appropriate equipment you might consider: 
- Shorts 
- Sunscreen 
- t-shirt or shirt 
- long trousers 
- warm fleece if cold (wool, fleece, or insulated) 
- windproof top 
- sun hat or cap (for warm days) 
- warm hat and gloves 
- Walking stick 
 
And remember to check the weight of your clothes (simple designs tend to weigh less) 

Complete the below form to receive your free t-shirt in the post (note you will also get a Giving Page once you’ve submitted your t-shirt request). Once completed, please allow 10- 15 working days for your t-shirt to arrive: https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/walk-30-challenge-sep-2024 

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

Sending out your t-shirt comes at a cost to Cancer Research UK so please only order one t-shirt to ensure as much fundraising goes towards our life saving research. We ask if you do request a t-shirt that you set up a Giving Page and make a donation to your page. 

If you would like to order more t-shirts, please visit our online shop: https://shop.cancerresearchuk.org/product/cancer-research-uk-t-shirt  

Unfortunately, it costs Cancer Research more money to return the t-shirt, 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 visit our online shop below: https://shop.cancerresearchuk.org/product/cancer-research-uk-t-shirt

There is not a minimum amount of fundraising that we set for participant, but we recommend that participants set a reasonable target of raising about £150.  

Of course! You can still set up a Cancer Research UK Giving Page using the link below and collect sponsorship for your walk that way:  

https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/walk-30-challenge-sep-2024 

The only thing that matters is that you challenge yourself, therefore complete as much of the challenge as you can. The money that you fundraise will allow Cancer Research UK to continue to fund life-saving research and we can’t thank you enough.  

No, don’t worry, we trust you! You don’t need to provide evidence that you’ve completed the challenge to us. 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 March– the more updates the better. Supporters who regularly post their progress raise on average 40% more. 

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

Setting up an Online Giving Page is the easiest way to raise money. You can set one up here: https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/walk-30-challenge-sep-2024. It's then easy to share the page with your friends to gather sponsorship for your challenge.  

We have plenty of fundraising tools and ideas to help you raise life-saving donations. Please see our fundraising hub with everything you need from the challenge here.

As part of the automated email journey users will receive a link to digital fundraising materials which they can download. No physical copies will be sent of any of the fundraising materials.   

There is no entry fee for this challenge. Participants are required to donate their fundraising to Cancer Research UK through their Online Giving Page, Facebook Fundraiser or any other platform they are choosing to fundraise through.

Yes, under 18s can take part in this challenge, but we do not market to them and any third-party platform forum (e.g. a Facebook forum) is only available to over 18s. If under 18s are taking part, their parent/guardian must consent to the child’s participation, supervise the challenge and accept responsibility for complying with the challenge rules. Currently we are unable to accept registration for a child, so the child’s parent/guardian must register on the child’s behalf. Similarly, if a child wants to raise money online and/or join a forum, the child’s parent/guardian must register for an online fundraising page and/or join the forum on the child’s behalf. 

You can use our Sponsorship Form 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:  

Walk 30 miles in September, 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.   

Walk 30 miles challenge is specifically a fundraising initiative developed by Cancer Research UK, and therefore all fundraising must go direct 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. 

If you’ve decided to fundraise through your Cancer Research UK Giving Page, you won’t need to do a thing – your supporters’ donations will pay in automatically. If you’ve raised offline, simply post your sponsorship form along with your sponsorship in the form of a cheque to Walk 30 miles in September, Cancer Research UK, PO BOX 1561, Oxford, OX4 9GZ 

Absolutely! If you’ve set up an Online Giving Page it’ll remain active until 2025 so your supporters can continue to donate for as long as you want to continue during this period. 

30 miles equates to 1 mile a day. 1 mile also equates to 2000 steps which can easily be achieved without extreme physical activity. This should be achievable by walking 15-30 mins daily depending on the individuals walking pace.   
 

We welcome everyone to take part in the challenge, 30 miles in a month equates to 1 mile a day. For wheelchair users you can challenge yourself by getting out and completing a set distance each day. The challenge is flexible, and we advise each individual to set challenge that’s suitable for them. 

There are lots of ways you can track your miles. We will be sending a digital calendar along with the fundraising pack where you can track your miles. Alternatively, we also recommend Strava and Fitbit apps. You can easily link these app with you OF pages. Alternatively, your phone will have plenty of free pedometer apps or you could buy a cheap one from your local gym or running shop. 

There are plenty of ways you can hit your weekly target – attempt to make up the numbers with a couple of shorter walks, or save them for a big walk on the weekend!  
 

Don’t fret if you have an off day. You could always make the miles on a nice weekend walk with the family – or just put in a bit of extra effort and make up the numbers across the next week. 

Participants must register as an individual but can take on the challenge as a team and split the miles up as a group or all complete 30 miles a day. You can download the team form here. They can also set up a team Online Giving Page and invite other registrants to join via the Cancer Research UK online fundraising site.