FAQ's
Shine Night Walk FAQs
We’re here to help with all your questions. Scroll down to find information on:
- Who can take part
- Your Shine Night Walk pack and t-shirt
- Preparing for the night
- On the night
- Fundraising
Who can take part
What ages can take part in Shine Night Walk?
- Shine Night Walk 10k - open to everyone aged 11yrs and over. Participants aged 11 to 17 (inclusive) on the night of Shine Night Walk must be registered in addition to and accompanied by, another participant aged 18 or over.
- Shine Night Walk London full and half marathon - open to everyone aged 13 or over. Participants aged 13 to 17 (inclusive) on the night of Shine Night Walk must be registered in addition to and accompanied by, another participant aged 18 or over.
Are the routes wheelchair accessible?
All Shine Night Walk routes are wheelchair accessible with assistance. Some routes include narrow, cobbled streets; please refer to the Facilities section on your Shine Night Walk event page for location-specific guidance.
If you require any further information on the accessibility of a Shine Night Walk event or wish to bring a carer/helper to accompany you, please contact our Supporter Hotline on 0300 123 1022 (Opening hours are 8 am - 6 pm Monday to Friday and on Wednesdays, we are closed between 11 am and 11:30 am for staff training) or email us at supporter.services@cancer.org.uk
Can I enter as part of a team?
You can enter up to 10 people at once by simply using our online entry form and creating your team through the CRUK Giving Page.
Got a team of 11 or more? No problem! Just give us a call on the Shine Night Walk hotline at 0300 123 6624, and we’ll be happy to help you. you.
If you sign up within 14 days of an event you won’t receive a pack in the post but can collect a t-shirt and walking number on the night. Please note that t-shirt sizes available on the night may be limited.
Do you allow prams/strollers or roller-skates/roller blades, skateboards and/or scooters on the course?
Unfortunately, no baby strollers/prams or roller skates/blades, skateboards and/or scooters are allowed on our Shine Night Walk courses.
Do you allow pets on the course?
Unfortunately, no pets are allowed on the course, except for service dogs.
Are my friends and family allowed to walk the route with me?
Unfortunately, spectators are not allowed to walk the route with participants due to capacity issues. They can, of course, sign up to walk themselves if they would like to join you.
Your Shine Night Walk pack and t-shirt
What is included in my pack?
The Shine Night Walk Pack includes the following;
- walking number
- back sign
- t-shirt
- sponsorship form
- welcome letter which includes a link to your course map
This year, in an effort to be more sustainable, we'll be sending you less printed materials.
If you sign up within 14 days of an event you won’t receive a pack in the post but can collect a t-shirt and walking number on the night. Please note that t-shirt sizes available on the night may be limited.
Please visit our fundraising page to download our fundraising pack & get ideas to help with your fundraising.
Will I receive a pack if I live overseas?
Unfortunately, if you live outside of the UK we cannot post your Shine Night Walk pack. You can either collect your t-shirt, back sign and walking number on the night at our event site, or you can contact us with an alternative UK address. All fundraising resources are available online.
My Shine Night Walk t-shirt doesn’t fit; can I change it?
Unfortunately, stocks of our t-shirts are limited so we can’t exchange your t-shirt.
Preparing for the night
What should I do to train for Shine Night Walk?
Walking a long distance, especially overnight, is a big challenge so please ensure you rest on the days leading up to the event. Make sure you do some training to ensure you are ready to take on the challenge.
Take a look at our training page for tips and advice.
Can I change my event distance?
Once you have registered you are unable to switch to an alternative distance without notifying us. This is because we have strict capacity limits for the half and full marathon distances as well as our 10K events, and for health and safety reasons we need to make sure that neither event distance exceeds its individual capacity.
On the night
What should I bring with me on the night?
There are only a few things you need to remember to bring with you to Shine Night Walk. Have a look at our checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything.
Please bring your own reusable water bottle filled. We have removed our single-use plastic bottles of water at the finish and pit stop stations and instead are providing water re-fill stations for you to top up and stay hydrated!
Can I take part in fancy dress?
Absolutely! This is your chance to shine, so light yourself up with flashing and glow-in-the-dark accessories.
How does Cancer Research UK measure Shine Night Walk 10k, half and full marathon courses?
Cancer Research UK is not affiliated to the British Athletic Federation so our courses are measured using measuring wheels by our team of experienced Event Managers. Measuring wheels are the most accurate way of measuring course distances as they are not impacted by surrounding buildings or terrain, this is why the distance may be different from Garmin, Strava, Applewatch & Fitbit technology.
What measures are in place for participants' safety?
We have strict capacity limits for the half and full marathon distances as well as our 10K events, and for health and safety reasons we need to make sure that neither event distance exceeds its individual capacity. We also have first aiders on hand at every event.
Shine Night Walk event rules 2024
For information on the Shine Night Walk event rules for 2024, please check out our terms & conditions: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/terms-and-conditions/shine-night-walk-event-rules
Fundraising
Do I have to collect sponsorship money to take part?
The entry fee goes towards the cost of putting on the event and participant communication costs. We ask all participants to raise as much sponsorship money as possible to help us fund life-saving research. A quick and simple way of raising your sponsorship money is to use your online fundraising page at https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/
We suggest that full and half marathon walkers aim to raise at least £260 towards life-saving research (that’s just £10 per mile for the full marathon!). We suggest that 10k walkers aim to raise at least £100 towards life-saving research.
Check out our top tips to kickstart your fundraising.
Can I fundraise for research into a particular cancer type. How do I do this?
When you Sign up to Shine Night Walk, you can choose to raise money to help beat a particular cancer type or area of work. On the entry form you’ll find a list of options – raise money for a specific area of work, or raise money for our research into all types of cancer. By choosing an area of cancer research that you want to Shine for, it will make your fundraising efforts even more meaningful.
The type of cancer I would prefer to raise money for is not on the list, why?
Cancer Research UK’s whole research portfolio covers over 200 cancers, from the most common types to those that affect just a few people. There are rules governing the way we raise funds for particular cancer types, which means we have to administer these donations differently from gifts given simply to Cancer Research UK’s overall work.
To ensure we keep administration costs to a minimum we have to keep the list available to choose from to a minimum. This is why for Shine there are a limited number of cancers we can give you to select from.
If you can't decide which cancer to support or can’t find the one you would like to fundraise for, then by selecting the option to support research into treatments for all types of cancer you can be secure in the knowledge that you are helping to beat many forms of the disease.
How do I create an online Giving Page?
You should have an online Giving Page set up for you automatically upon sign up. If you have any issues visit https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/enter and enter the email address you used to sign up to Shine Night Walk.
How can I pay in my sponsorship money?
If you use your Giving Page, the funds you raise are automatically sent to us.
If you’ve raised money in person, you can return a cheque to us by post with cheque made payable to “Cancer Research UK” to:
Shine Night Walk
Cancer Research UK
PO Box 1561
Oxford
OX4 9GZ
Alternatively, you can make a payment over the phone by calling 0300 123 6624
Do I need to enclose my sponsorship form with my cheques?
If any of your sponsors have ticked the Gift Aid box it is essential we have a copy of your sponsorship form. Without this we will not be able to claim Gift Aid on any of your donations. Gift Aid increases your contribution by at least 25% without any extra cost to you or your donors.