Children can take part in muddy Race for Life at Burghley House

Boys and girls are being invited to get muddy for a good cause at a brand new event from Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

Stamford has been chosen to host Race for Life Pretty Muddy Kids for the first time at Burghley House on Saturday, June 2.

It follows the success of Pretty Muddy which launched last year in Stamford and will also run on Saturday, June 2. The traditional 5k and 10k events are on Sunday, June 3.

Pretty Muddy Kids is a new exciting obstacle course designed just for children - with added mud, thrills and spills.

From scramble nets and space hoppers to mud chutes and muddy pools, children will face a range of fun and muddy obstacles to crawl under, clamber over and charge through.

The Race for Life family of events also includes the traditional 5k, 10k and Pretty Muddy courses, which thousands of women will take part in at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3.

By taking part in Pretty Muddy Kids, children in Stamford can have fun with friends and help raise valuable funds to beat cancer sooner at the same time.

Money raised will help Cancer Research UK scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease, helping save more lives.

Megan Bailey, Cancer Research UK’s Stamford event manager, said: “We can’t wait to bring Race for Life Pretty Muddy Kids to Stamford for the very first time.

“The obstacle course promises plenty of fun, thrills and spills and we hope children will rally their friends, family and schoolmates to sign up and make a splash for Cancer Research UK.

“Race for Life events are not competitive and children can complete the Pretty Muddy Kids course at their own pace - climbing, jumping, walking and laughing their way around. Whether they plan to wade their way through the mud or make a big splash, every muddy step they take will help to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.”

One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring women-only series of 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy, Half Marathon and Hiking events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer sooner by funding vital research.

Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work relies on the public’s support. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the charity was able to spend around £49m last year in East Anglia on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research - helping more men, women and children survive.

Megan continued: “Pretty Muddy Kids has all the fun and camaraderie of our much loved Pretty Muddy events - but with an extra dose of muddy fun for the little ones.

“It promises to be a fantastic event for all the family so we urge people across Stamford to sign up right now.”

The entry fee for Pretty Muddy Kids is £10.

The event is open to boys and girls aged from five to 12-years-old and there is a minimum height requirement of 1.2m. All children must be accompanied by a supervising adult, who has free entry to the event.

Until January 31, womenare being offered 30 per cent off entry fees for Race for Life 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy, Pretty Muddy Kids, Half Marathon and Hike events.

To enter one of the Race for Life events, go to raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.

n Will you be taking part in Race for Life Stamford this year and have you got a special reason for doing so? Share your story with readers by e-mailing: smeditor@stamfordmercury.co.uk