THEY’VE run – or walked – the race, but now the entrants to this year’s Basingstoke Race for Life events need to get across another finishing line by making sure they send in their sponsorship money.

In June, 3,800 mothers, grandmothers, sisters and friends turned out at Basingstoke’s Down Grange Sports Complex to take part in this year’s two Race for Life events – an inaugural 10-kilometre race and the usual five-kilometre event.

Now organisers are appealing to everyone who took part to chase up their sponsorship money and help boost the coffers at Cancer Research UK.

Rachel White, manager of the Basingstoke event, said: “We are really grateful to the thousands of women who walked, jogged and ran Race for Life in Basingstoke. Their spirit and determination created an amazing atmosphere on the day as they came together for one cause – to help beat cancer.

“Now we are asking them to make every step count by sending Cancer Research UK the money they’ve raised so it can be used to fund vital research.”

She added that the fundraising target for the Basingstoke events is £314,000 but another £103,000 of donations is still needed to reach this total.

According to Cancer Research UK, every day about 190 people are diagnosed with cancer in the south of England and around 69,700 are diagnosed each year. But cancer survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years.

Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of more than 4,800 scientists, doctors and nurses, including research and clinical trials throughout Hampshire.

In Basingstoke, people with pancreatic cancer can take part in a study to find the best treatment to give patients after they have had surgery. Clinical trials like this are vital to help find new and better ways to treat cancer and save more lives.

Each year, over 230 Cancer Research UK Race for Life events are held throughout the country raising about £60 million to fund the charity’s work.

More information about returning sponsorship money, or making a donation, is available at raceforlife.org.