Think fun, friends and laughter!

Pretty Muddy is the UK’s first women-only 5k charity obstacle course. The event can be as challenging as you want to make it. Climb, jump and laugh all over cancer.

Pretty Muddy is about overcoming obstacles together as a collective force, united in the fight against cancer.

A combination of fun, challenge and of course mud, take the obstacles at your own pace and show cancer you mean business.

FInd out more at http://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/pretty-muddy/index.html

Comments

  • After you using the boards to spam your race instead of going down the route of every other race organiser and advertising properly and after Cancer Research withdrew their RFL from my local town for 'not raising enough', despite having to hold two events in one day and THEN reading the following (written by a friend, so I know 100% not spam)....Thanks but no thanks.  Your organisation appears more interested in commercial rather than altruistic pursuits these days:

     

    "I was diagnosed with womb cancer in January 2012 having had a terrible few months with symptoms. At the time of my diagnosis, I was told that I was in the minority in that I was under the age of 60 and fit; my hobby is running and I ran 5 marathons in 2011, the last one being just before my symptoms started.
    I have since found out that I am not really in the minority. I have, through WCSUK, been in contact with women much younger than I.

    Last year, shortly after my radiotherapy finished, I took part in a Race for Life where a cancer survivor stood up on the stage and spoke about her experience of breast cancer. I said to my friends that I would want to do that this year. So a few months ago I contacted Cancer Research UK Race for Life and asked about speaking at their Hyde Park event. They agreed and it was arranged for me to speak before both the 10k and 5k races.

    So this morning, I arrived nice and early (8am) and found I was due to speak at 8.08am but they seemed to be a bit disorganised; the sound checks hadn't been run at that point. One of the organisers came to me a while later and explained that they were running behind time and would like to concentrate my efforts before the 5k race after I had run the 10k. Hmmmmmmmm!
    There was a lot of nothing going on at the time but I suppose these things happen eh? I did point out that, because of the heat, I would probably take longer than I thought originally and asked to be scheduled as late as possible; I can't run in the heat at all and really suffer. I was told that would be ok.

    Off I went and I struggled round the race; it felt like I was melting at times! As soon as I finished, I headed back to the stage where I was told, again, that they were running behind schedule. I was told they would like me to speak at the start of the race and that I would be taken down there just beforehand. I was starting to feel a bit like the poor relative by this time.

    A little while later, one of the organisers came and got me and I went behind the barrier and then she instantly disappeared! I waited for a good 15 minutes and she didn't return. I was getting slightly hacked off by this time so I decided to just walk away.

    I am quite hurt that this happened to me. I have been looking forward to today and getting the message out about womb cancer. This was a chance to reach around 15,000 women at the same time across the two races and I feel very let down.

    There were a couple of key messages I wanted to get across.
    There are several conditions that make a woman pre-disposed to womb cancer (being overweight, being childless, being diabetic, being unfit and being over 60). I was none of these. So I wanted to get the message across that this is a cancer that can strike ANYONE at ANY time of their lives.

    From experience, some women are under the impression that their cervical smear would detect womb cancer but this is not the case. The only time it would detect it would be if it had already spread to the cervix.

    I also wanted to point out that womb cancer is on the rise and that obesity could be a factor going forward as the extra fat in our bodies causes oestrogen-like hormones to be produced and womb cancer is mainly hormone receptive.

    Now, I consider those messages are vital for the women in this country. There is n

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Why are all of your events women only! As far as I know, men get cancer as well.

    or am I just thick?
  • Of course you are  dear, you're male.   image

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    That must be why we are not allowed to take part in these events.

    We are officially too stupid.
  • I think they should open it up to men but make them complete a H&S questionnaire first, to make sure they can get around the course without killing themselves or others.  Questions could include:

    Have you ever hit your thumb with a hammer whilst trying to hang a picture?

    Where do you keep your spanner?

    How would you turn off the water in an emergency?

    Have you ever run over/cut through the electrical wire of a piece of gardening equipment?

    What is your spouse's date of birth?

    Are you always right or are you always wrong?

    Can you carry off pink?

    In a pictorial representation of your feet, which would be left and which right?

    Can you put your left foot in front of your right and then your right foot in front of you left?

    Can you do this whilst looking ahead and without falling down?

    What is the name of Bridget Jones' boyfriend?

     

    Any man who tick NO to one or more of the above needs to be excluded.  Any that know the answer to the last, should be put down.

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    I really, really hate women-only events.  

    Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

    And as CD says, please pay for your advertising rather than spamming - although I think you can get your event listed in the Events section for free.

  • Agreed Wilkie, I can't be doing with them either, although I can understand the attraction for some women and tbh, if it gets them out exercising than I'm all for it.  I do find them a bit 'pink and cuddly' for my tastes but my biggest gripes with this particular 'fund raiser' are detailed above - and I hadn't even mentioned my thoughts on their marathon place deals (although tbf, they're not the only ones who play that scam for all it's worth)! 

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    The real scam is that none of the entry fee actually goes to researching cancer it just goes towards the race organisation.
  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    I'm not keen on women-only events either but have to admit I can somewhat see the appeal of an event involving loads of women rolling around in mud together.

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    So can I, but I prefer custard.

  • The problem with the CRUK RfL events is that they're expensive and none of the entry fee ends up in the research pot.  OK, raising awareness, I get that, but £15 for a 5k charity event?  Come on.

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    I don't see why these events are so expensive, and yet none of the entry fee goes toward actual research.

    Local organisers put on races for £10 entry, and they cover their costs and make some money as well.

     

  • Whilst agreeing that the experience of that woman in the first reply is totally unaccpetable and the charity should take a look at itself, I must admit I find some of the replies here a bit odd. People often complain that not all the money from charity events goes to the charitable end of things - but then at least two people on this thread want this person not to post on here for free but to go away and pay for advertising, which would, would it not, divert money away from the charitable cause. You can't really have it both ways! That's not to say that these forums should necessarily be open for posts such as these - I personally have no problem with people posting like this and it's far better than something corporate or, indeed, half the stupid posts by a number of people on here whom I shall not name. It would be a problem if every other post was an 'ad' for a charity run, but they're not, so I don't really have an issue with it. Until that point is reached, why not just ignore it?

  • If you want information on what the entry fee covers, go here http://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/utilities/faqs/fees/index.html.

    You might not agree it's right, but I think they're at least transparent about it. Not one single charity in the whole wide wonderful world runs without overheads, and if they say they do, they're lying.

  • Peter collins........I would like to see the breakdown of the money involved as I cannot see how the amount of moeny raised by entry fees could ever equal the overheads unless there are some astronomincal salaries somewhere........most of the things they say the entry fees are used for are a one of fee that can be used for many mant events...with the number of people taking part then I cannot see how someone is not taking a huge chunk out of it........

    If You could show me the figures to prove me wrong i would be pleased to be proved wrong.......Of course charities have overheads........but the millions that are taking in entry fees for the race is a hell of a lot of overheads

  • Seren, I'm not anything to do with CRUK. Its accounts should be readily available somewhere. The bottom line for all charities is how much they raise - if they spend more money but in doing so raise more money, they're arguably doing things right. If, for example, a charity grows and needs more staff to do admin jobs, it will obviously spend more money on salaries, but those people will enable it to raise more money. It might in the process need bigger offices, run up bigger phone bills, pay more for heating and so on. On the question of salaries - I have no idea how much the top people earn at CRUK, though I suspect the chief executive doesn't do too badly. There are two points to be made on this: it's argued that if you get good top people in and the charity subsequently brings in more money, it's been worth paying the extra salary. And, indeed, there are some people earning six-figure salaries in some of the bigger charities. Naturally, that's controversial even in the charity sector, and is worthy of debate. The second thing, though, is that the vast majority of charities are tiny affairs, usually run by their founders, employing nothing but volunteers and existing in a hand-to-mouth way. So if people have a problem with such as CRUK, it's not representative of the sector as a whole.

  • Data Admin Executive

    • Angel, Islington
    • Circa £20,000 to £22,000 inclusive of location allowance

    Local Fundraising Manager - Sheffield, Huddersfield and Halifax

    • Home Based - Yorkshire (covering Sheffield, Huddersfield and Halifax)
    • Circa £20,000- £24,000 per annum plus car/car allowance

    Communications Specialist

    • Angel, London
    • Circa £26,000 - £30,000 per annum inclusive

    Project Manager

    • Angel, Islington
    • Circa £30,000 - £33,000 p.a. Inclusive of location allowances

    Just four of the people that would play some part in organising something like RFL, one of whom is very likely to be the person who indulged in a little free advertising via the forum.  And all that before you get around to race licences, policing costs, etc.  Like I said, it's a commercial enterprise and is run as such, which, just like the Great Runs, is why entries are so expensive.

    Anyway, my point was that aside from abusing the forum to spam their race (and like Wilkie, I don't know if there is a cost involved on putting it on the race listings page), the RFL style single sex events no longer have the feel of a nice charity event to them, more a cynical marketing exercise.

    And yes, why no men's events? 

  • I say again, why do you not want charities (which are accused here of not passing money on to the cause - even though much more is passed on than people generally believe) to have free advertising? I'm neither here nor there about women-only events - that they are very well attended probably says something about what a lot of women think about them. If you feel so strongly about them, take a banner along, or try to run with them. It's not a cause I'd care to join in with you, though!

    Now, go here to be outraged (see p32). http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/prod_consump/groups/cr_common/@abt/@gen/documents/image/cr_111520.pdf

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    It's not that I particularly want them to spend money on the advertising, I just would prefer them NOT to spam the forum.

    The Events section would be the appropriate place to put information about the event, particularly if it is free.

  • And you're entitled to your opinion. But you did say above 'please pay for your advertising'.

  • Who's outraged?  Certainly not me, I was just expressing my opinion that if they can afford to pay £20k pa for an admin assistant then spamming a race on a free forum - when they may or may not have to pay for the advertising, which being such a huge business, if they did have to pay they could easily negotiate a media package with Rodale - seems a little bit of a cynical act.  Add to that their use of people's personal cancer related experiences also appears to be cynically (cack) handled, I would choose not to support this particular event organiser. 

  • All of that is your prerogative. I don't think they're cynical, personally. I think they play the game, that's all. I'm happier for people to earn money raising money for a great cause like this than moving paper money around in the City, for example. There are things about the charity world itself that wind me up far more: how, for example, do private schools and religions manage to retain charity status and the attendant tax reliefs when (particularly in the former case) they do very very little at all that could be described as charitable.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    How come none of the entry fee goes to charity? Especially as 15 is a lot for a 5k with no chip timing.



    A local charity in my area manages to charge 10 and still manages to give some of that to charity.
  • Dunno. But do you think it's doing something dodgy?

    I think people should look at the accounts http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/what-we-do/annual-report-and-accounts/

    It says 82 per cent of its fundraised income goes to its cause area. That's fairly typical of any charity, I believe.

  • I started off running at R4L and the relaxed atmosphere was a great way to start running/exercising.  The benefit of R4L is not just the fundraising but also encouraging people to be fit.  I think though that there should be corresponding mens events.  I however feel R4L is a springboard for most runners, once you have moved onto running more mainstream races R4L just seems like an expensive training run.  It has it's place as a no pressure event for beginners, maybe more events like this would help more people to start exercising.

     

    I have moved on from R4L and have recently supported H4H with my running.  I like their approach whereby all money raised from selling merchandise goes to the admin and advertising leaving any money from sponsorship for the charity.  This openness and honesty should be emplyed by all charities.

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    20k doesn't seem that massive a salary for a full-time admin job.

    Also, organising local races can be quite cheap because you know the area and know people to borrow stuff off etc. My club organises a cheap local race (not for charity but we do make a small profit which we put back into the club) and we don't have many of the costs listed because we borrow the venue, don't have to close roads, we borrow tables, chairs, water containers, don't have medals, race packs, t-shirts etc., advertise by handing out entry forms at our local parkrun, and store any equipment we have in someone's garage. It's much harder to do that as a national organisation trying to put on a slickly organised event that will appeal to a wide audience of people who don't necessarily just want to do a few laps of a muddy park down the back of the local football club.*

    *NB. our race is a bit better than that.

  • literatin wrote (see)

    20k doesn't seem that massive a salary for a full-time admin job.

     

    Really?  My last admin post (NHS) was full time and paid less than that, and that was me at the top of my grade, next step was a managerial post that paid only slightly more (£22K iirc)!

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    oops, sorry - just meant not in the realms of profligacy.

  • there are thousands of charities in this country which organise so many events........if they all just come on here and advertise their races when they want to and all their other events then it would soon clog up the firums....#

    Can you imagine it at certain times before the London marathon.......it would be a charity free for all....

    all the big ones know now that they shouldn't spam us...so not sure why Race for life does.

     

    and yes £15 with a 1000 runners in a park with no policing costs and no chips and a finish line that is taken form race to race.......and yet there is still not a penny left form the £15,000 for the one event to put towards cancer research/..........I really can't figure the maths....

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