Aged 16 and over
£15.99
Children
£11.00
Minimum fundraising target
£50.00
Date
Sunday 05 Jul 2026
Time
11:00
Venue
Heaton Park
Life is worth Racing for. Enter Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life and raise money for life-saving cancer research.
The 5k is an achievable distance and a good first challenge for most people. At just over 3 miles it can take about an hour to walk on average, but there's no pressure to finish in a certain time. Go at your own pace to help fund life-saving cancer research.
The start, finish and event site are on grass which is predominantly flat.
The course is a combination of grass, surfaced paths and woodland trails and features various elevations.
You can take part in any Race for Life event as an individual or a group to raise money for life-saving research. Walk, jog or run together in a group or go solo at your own pace, or lead the way as a Group Leader and get family, friends and colleagues involved! However you choose to take part, you’re helping to beat cancer.
Shake off any pre-Race nerves and get moving with our fun warm-up session just before your event.
Bring along as many supporters as you like to cheer you on! We’ve got things for everyone to do, check out the Location section above to see what’s happening on the day.
After you've completed the course, stay on and celebrate with other participants, friends and family with a picnic in the park.
10m
More than 10 million of you have taken part in Race for Life events since 1994, fundraising for Cancer Research UK.
£970m
Race for Life has raised over £970 million towards life-saving cancer research since it began 30 years ago.
130,000+
With your money, we've helped develop radiotherapy, which helps 130,000+ people with cancer in the UK every year.
Once you sign up for your Race for Life event, you'll receive an email with all the need-to-know details to help you feel fully prepared for the day.
The meeting point and start line are in 'The Bowl' area of the park, which is located at the bottom of Heaton Hall, just up from the Boating Lake . The finish line will also be within the similar vicinity.
If using what3words, enter ///salsa.monkey.inch in the free app, to find the exact starting point.
By car:
General Event Parking: Event Parking is available at the Lakeside Car Park on Sheepfoot Lane. Traffic Management will be in place to help direct you. Manchester City Council operate a Pay & Display system please ensure you arrive within plenty of time to purchase a ticket using cash at the machine or via the PayByPhone App. We recommend downloading the app in advance to avoid queuing on the day. Charges are priced at an hourly rate of £3.50 all day. Please adhere to the one way system and 5mph restrictions at all times. From this car park it is approx. a 5-10 min walk to the event site on a surfaced path around the lake so please do allow time for your journey.
Drop Offs: Lakeside Car Park.
Blue Badge Parking: Disabled parking is available at the Lakeside Car Park, and at other car parks within the venue, also pay and display. Please adhere to the one way system and 5mph restrictions at all times.
Volunteer Parking: Volunteer parking is the same as general event parking. Please refer to this section more info.
Electric Charging points: There are none available at this event.
Public transport and pedestrians:
Pedestrians: The closest entrance to the event site for pedestrians is via the Metrolink entrance gate off Bury Old Road. However, the site can also be accessed via Middleton Road, Sheepfoot Lane or St Margaret's Road.
Bus: The nearest bus stop to the event site is Victoria Avenue, from here you can access the venue via the ornamental gates on Middleton Road and follow the path straight ahead past the tramway to the event site.
Train: The nearest train stations are in Manchester City Centre, located 6 miles away. However there is a Metrolink Tram Station just outside Heaton Park as we would actively encourage utilising this service. Trams run regularly from the City Centre and other destinations and the Metrolink stop is the closest entrance to our event site.
Cycling & Bike Racks: Located at the visitor centre within the venue (5 - 10 min walk from the event site)
Refreshments
Toilets
Dogs allowed
Suitable for pushchairs
Wheelchairs accessible
Parking
Bag drop
Showers
We aim to provide our supporters with as much information as possible so that they can make an informed choice based on their own specific needs.
Please refer to the meeting point, course information and travel sections where we aim to give you sufficient information on each of these areas.
We have assessed this route and concluded it is wheelchair accessible with assistance, as the park includes a number of inclines and declines.
We aim for maximum accessibility at our events. Our contact centre and on-site team are ready to assist with any needs or questions you may have.
Sunflower lanyards are available at the enquiries marquee, and our Event Managers are trained Dementia Friends.
Your entry fee covers the cost of your event, but your fundraising helps us save and improve lives. Join the celebration, join the family, and join the thousands helping to raise the money we need to power Cancer Research UK’s biggest discoveries.
When you sign up to an event, you'll get fundraising support every step of the way. Get top tips, ideas and resources to help you hit your target and raise as much money as possible for life-saving cancer research.
Choose a training plan to help you get Race for Life ready. You could even use Strava or Fitbit to track your walk, jog or run.
Once you've signed up, join the Race for Life Super Supporters Facebook group to help you get motivated!
