Macmillan Mighty Hikes, the cancer charity’s iconic hiking series, is back for 2025 and aiming to raise more than ever before to help fund Macmillan’s vital range of support services for people living with cancer.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the series, which began in 2015 and has raised a total of £70 million for people living with cancer.
Mighty Hikes are a series of one-day half and full marathon fundraising hikes, running from May through to September in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK. This year, Macmillan Mighty Hikes will be taking place in 12 stunning locations across all four UK nations, including a brand-new hiking route around the beautiful Cotswolds.
Last year, 24,000 people walked over 438,000 miles between them to raise £10.7 million as part of the Mighty Hikes series, all with their own reasons for taking part.
Stephanie Deacon-Clow, from West Yorkshire completed the Lake District Mighty Hike with her teenage son Noah, having decided to fundraise for Macmillan in memory of her Mum and Noah’s Nana, Beverley.
“We lost my beautiful mum to oesophageal cancer in 2020 and I wanted to do something for Macmillan to give back. Everyone should have access to the support my mum had. The Macmillan nurses were so great with her, both at the hospital and supporting her to pass away at home with her family by her side, that meant so much to us.
“The Lake District is a special place to me, and I absolutely loved doing the Mighty Hike there – the views were simply breathtaking. The last three miles were hard and felt much longer, but Noah kept me going to the finish line. I would definitely do it again. The day was really well organised, everyone had their own motivation for being there, and it felt like the perfect way to remember mum and raise vital funds for Macmillan.”
This year, Macmillan is calling on people across the UK to take on one of its 12 events, with every penny raised helping to ensure the charity can continue doing whatever it takes to help more people with cancer get the best care the UK has to offer, whoever and wherever they are.
Helen Hancock, Mighty Hike Team Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
“We’re incredibly grateful to all our incredible supporters who took on the challenge of hiking a full or half marathon Macmillan Mighty Hike last year. Every penny raised helps us go the extra mile to do whatever it takes for people living with cancer, whoever and wherever they are.
“We can’t wait to return to some of the most beautiful locations across of the UK to put one foot in front of the other for people living with cancer, and we’d love to see as many people there as possible.”
Where does the money go?
Macmillan is almost entirely funded by generous public donations, and the vital funds raised through Mighty Hikes will help the charity to continue doing whatever it takes to support people living with cancer. Every pound raised can make a huge difference to the lives of people living with cancer:
- £185 – could provide emotional support to one person living with cancer for around eight weeks, through ongoing and regular support sessions with one of our Macmillan Buddiesi.
- £270 – could pay for a Macmillan Nurse for one day, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential supportii.
- £500 – could pay for a Macmillan Professional to attend an advanced course in pain symptom control, to help provide better advice to people with cancer on how to manage their symptoms and deal with the pain caused by treatmentiii.
- £1,304 – could pay for a Macmillan Information and Support Manager for one week, giving people living with cancer the opportunity to ask questions and talk through their concernsiv.
How can people get involved?
Join thousands of hikers and take on a Mighty Hike challenge for people living with cancer in 2025 by visiting macmillan.org.uk/mightyhikes
Choose from 12 Mighty Hikes, either a full or half marathon, across some of the UK’s most breath-taking landscapes.
All participants will receive the following as part of the registration fee:
- A free Macmillan hiking t-shirt
- A clearly marked route with expert mountain leaders
- Regular refueling stops with plenty of snacks and refreshments
- Medical assistance
- Free professional photos to remember the incredible achievement
- A fresh buffet lunch, plus a hot meal to finish if doing the full marathon
- A Mighty medal and complimentary drink to celebrate crossing the finish
All Mighty Hikers can visit the Macmillan website for effective fundraising ideas, as well as some top tips to prepare and train for the event.
Fundraisers can also join a private Facebook group for their event to meet their teammates and to get fundraising and training advice from Mighty Hikers old and new.
