Researchers running 1,000km each to help Cancer Research UK

Seeing first-hand how fundraising can help cancer patients live longer, better lives, the staff at the CRUK-funded unit will be clocking up the kilometres to fund further research.

The idea came from data manager, Katie Bishop, 23, from Totton, who had already raised over £500 for the charity last year, running 700km after both her grandparents were diagnosed with the disease.

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Katie said: “I looked at my statistics and decided to set myself another challenge with the round figure of 1,000km which I felt was achievable. I asked some of the other SCTU team members who like running if they’d like to do it with me so we could motivate each other, but never expected so many to sign up.

“We’re quite an active unit and like to get involved and a lot of us are funded by Cancer Research UK. Knowing that what we do makes a difference and can change people’s lives motivates us to do challenges like these, so that we can give back and do our jobs even better.”

When it comes to distance, there’s one runner who’s likely to go off the scale. Data manager, Rob Waugh is aiming to smash his 1,000km target and run 2,500km by the end of the year.

Rob said: “I wanted to push myself because I ran more than 1,000km last year so I’ve set myself some different challenges. Next month I will try to run four miles, every four hours over 48 hours, then in March I hope to run 1km on March 1, 2km on March 2, 3km on March 3 and carry on throughout the month to run 496km. “Everyone taking part in this challenge is doing what suits them and what they feel capable of, but it’s really sociable and nice to be able to do it for Cancer Research UK.”