Race for Life: More than 6,600 runners bring Glasgow to standstill for cancer research

Around £750,000 has been raised for Cancer Research UK thanks to the efforts of runners taking part in Glasgow’s Race for Life on Sunday.

More than 6,600 people took part in the fundraiser which is known for its inspirational atmosphere as those affected by the disease – and their loved ones - come out in force for the race.

The event kicked off when Laura Eggo took to the stage at Glasgow Green ahead of her pre-recorded story being played to the thousands gathered. Ms Eggo found out she had breast cancer just before her 40th birthday with her diagnosis confirmed after she found a lump while feeding her daughter. The mother, who faces more surgery after finding out she has the faulty BRCA1 gene, the went on to run the 10K along with husband, Brian, whose brother Alasdair died from lung cancer aged 51 in December 2023.

Laura, now 42, of East Kilbride said: “We all have a reason to Race for Life.

“For me it’s a chance to say thank you, to raise money to help people tackling cancer right now. Finding out I have the faulty BRCA1 gene was a shock. I will be looking at more surgery in the future but that news has made me even more determined to do what I can to support the discovery of more treatments and cures for my daughter’s generation.”

Professor Seth Coffelt of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and University of Glasgow sounded the start horn at the start line at Race for Life Glasgow as around 6,647 participants set off through the streets of Scotland’s largest city.

Professor Coffelt said: “Researchers like myself are hard at work every day, performing experiments to try and understand how cancer occurs, how cancer spreads, and how cancer can be treated.

“All these research efforts take money, as research is expensive. That’s why I’m so grateful to all the runners and walkers who have spent their time gathering donations. It’s awesome to see.”