54th Macmillan Charity Raceday

We want to say a big thank you to everyone who supported the 54th Macmillan Charity Raceday on Saturday 14 June 2025. We are delighted to announce that over the course of the weekend we raised an incredible £400,000 and counting towards Macmillan's work supporting people living with cancer in Yorkshire. 

For over half a century, York Racecourse has worked in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to help raise vital funds for people living with cancer. In 2025 the partnership celebrated raising over £11 million for Macmillan Cancer Support and the event continues to evolve with lots of ways for you to get involved in fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support in the lead-up to and during the June racing weekend.

It is a wonderful family day out raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and services on Yorkshire. Over the weekend we are joined by over 100 volunteers involved in bucket collections, selling raffle tickets, and generating awareness of how you and your loved ones can get support, hosting two fundraising lunches, and the leading charity race – The Ride of Their Lives.

Alongside this, our partners at York Racecourse donate proceeds from the day to Macmillan Cancer Support and racegoers can further directly support Macmillan in the knowledge that just by attending Raceday, not only are they raise funds for Macmillan, but they are also enabling a member of the wider Macmillan community, whether they be a nurse, carer or volunteer, to enjoy a day at York Racecourse.

Watch out for updates regarding the 55th Macmillan Charity Raceday. It promises to be a wonderful day.

Thank you to everyone who took on the 80ft descent off the Knavesmire Stand for our brand-new challenge, Abseil at the Races. Whether you abseiled alone or were part of a team, your bravery helped raise vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, making a real difference to people living with cancer.

Together, our incredible abseilers raised over £47,000 – thank you for going to great heights for Macmillan.

If you would like to take part in the Abseil at the Races in 2026, register your interest by emailing yorkraceday@macmillan.org.uk.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part in our Walk 100k in May challenge to support Macmillan’s vital services for people living with cancer in Yorkshire.

Whether you walked through city streets, coastal paths, or countryside trails – every step made a difference. Your commitment to this challenge meant you helped raise over £24,000 which will help us make sure that no one in Yorkshire faces cancer alone.

Well done and thank you for walking with Macmillan.

We would like to say a massive thank you to this year’s Ride of Their Lives participants.

This incredible event saw amateur riders take on a once-in-a-lifetime experience – racing nine furlongs on the iconic Knavesmire course. After dedicating six months to intensive jockey training and fundraising, they competed in the first race of the Macmillan Charity Raceday on Saturday 14 June 2025. 

As one of the weekend’s biggest highlights, this race plays a key role in Macmillan’s fundraising. Each jockey committed to raising at least £4,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, with the total raised between them reaching over £150,000.

You can show your support for this year’s rides by donating to their JustGiving page.

If you are interested in taking part in the 2026 Ride of Their Lives, please email yorkraceday@macmillan.org.uk to register your interest.

This event has raised £10.5 million pounds to date and has enabled us to help people living with cancer with financial, physical and emotional support, just like Adam from North Yorkshire.

Diagnosed with throat cancer in October 2022, Adam's diagnosis came as a shock but was helped by Macmillan throughout his treatment and recovery.

Adam says: "I had brilliant support from the Macmillan nurses who were so kind and caring. They looked after me on my hospital visits.

“I was put through the system quickly, and all the staff I met were fantastic, including the Macmillan staff. When I had radiotherapy all the staff in the team were really caring and I built up a good relationship with them. I was very well looked after.”

If you need support, please see our services in Yorkshire and the Humber.

There are so many ways you can support. If you would like to learn more, or be kept up to date with information as it is released in the coming months you can email the events team: YorkRaceday@Macmillan.org.uk.

• Volunteer
  

  The Macmillan Charity Raceday relies on a huge team of volunteers. If you can spare your time and would like to be part of this historic event, please visit our volunteering page.



• Donate by text

  If you would like to donate to the Macmillan Charity Raceday to support people living with cancer in Yorkshire you can text YORK to 70550 to make a single £5 donation, YORK10 to 70550 to make a single £10 donation or YORK20 to make a single £20 donation.
  
  T&C's: Obtain bill payer's permission. Age 16+. UK mobiles only. One-off donations charged at £5, £10 or £20 + std rate. Macmillan Cancer Support is a registered charity in England & Wales 261017, Scotland SC039907, and Isle of Man 604. Macmillan receives 100% of your donation. For more information call our Supporter Care team on 0300 1000 200.



• Donate online

  Make a donation



• Contact the High Value Events team

  You can speak to a member of the High Value Events team to share any ideas about how you would like to get involved by emailing yorkraceday@macmillan.org.uk.



• Donate to the Auction

  Gifts in kind are a fantastic way for individuals and companies alike to support charities like Macmillan Cancer Support. We are always looking for new and exciting prizes to add to our online and live auctions and promote to supporters.
  
  If you would like more information on how you can support Macmillan Cancer Support through a prize donation please contact yorkraceday@macmillan.org.uk.



• Join our Event Committee

  If you would like to be part of the Macmillan Charity Raceday Committee in Yorkshire, please email yorkraceday@macmillan.org.uk.