RBC Race for the Kids is back! Join us this October and help build a new Children’s Cancer Centre at GOSH

The day will kick off with an invigorating, fun warm-up hosted by our MC Carla. You’ll then head to the start line, ready to jog, walk, scoot, or wheel the scenic 5k route.

After collecting an RBC Race for the Kids medal at the finish line, it’s time to make your way to our buzzing event village.

There will be live entertainment, including acts from the performing-arts group Spirit YPC and the team at Butlin’s. (Keep your eyes peeled for a few famous faces, too!)

With arts and crafts, face painting, bubbles and food and drink stalls, it will be the perfect family day out. It’s suitable for all ages and abilities, and kids can attend free of charge.

Have a question about RBC Race for the Kids? Head over to our FAQs page for lots more useful information.

Since our first ever RBC Race for the Kids 14 years ago, the event has raised over £9 million for the children and families at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

This year, we're raising money to help build a new world-class Children’s Cancer Centre at the hospital and save more children’s lives.

GOSH cares for children with the hardest-to-treat cancers. We’re already pushing the boundaries. Pioneering research is underway to find the most effective treatments and cures.

But these advances have outstripped GOSH’s current cancer care facilities. The hospital needs a new home to create breakthrough therapies that will benefit children worldwide. That home will be the new Children’s Cancer Centre.

Check out RBC Race for the Kids today and help us build it. In doing so, you’ll join the race to help beat childhood cancer.

Below, we catch up with two families among the thousands already signed up.

GOSH patient Emily is blind and has severe problems with her heart and kidneys.

“Heart-wise, she was diagnosed at birth with severe aortic stenosis,” her guardian, Val, explains. “Her heart had to work twice as hard as ours just to keep her blood pumping. Her valve was narrowing and struggling, and her heart muscle was thickening, meaning she was at risk of sudden cardiac arrest.”

GOSH has cared for Emily since she was just a day old. She has made friends with the staff, including her cardiac consultant Jacob Simmonds. She’s also had a special visit from Bailey, a GOSH therapy dog.

In January last year, Emily had life-changing heart surgery that altered her prognosis – making it much more positive.

“We have confirmation that she should now reach adulthood, a timescale we never dared to believe we would have with her. We are so excited for her future,” another family member, Amie, says.

By October 2022, Emily was well enough to get involved in the RBC Race for the Kids with Val and Amie.

Her family says she loved taking part and independently completed 1km of the course with her walker – the furthest she had ever gone by herself.

This year will be Emily’s second time participating in RBC Race for the Kids.

We can’t wait to cheer her, Val and Aime on at the start line.

Fourteen-year-old Rowan, a former oncology patient at GOSH, has also signed up for this year’s event. It will be his fifth time taking part.

“Race for the Kids is particularly important to our family this year because cancer care at GOSH is something that we would very much like to help raise money for,” Rowan’s mum, Abby, tells us. “I’ve been lucky enough to see the plans [for the Children’s Cancer Centre] and it looks absolutely sensational.”

Rowan was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015 when he was five years old. Luckily, he responded well to chemotherapy at GOSH and rang the end–of–treatment bell after three-and-a-half-years of treatment.

Today, Abby says Rowan is doing “really well”. The leukaemia has gone, but he has ongoing side effects due to the chemotherapy.

“He now has neuropathy which means he gets an awful lot of fatigue. It also means he’s very prone to falling over and he has very bendy joints,” she says.

“He had a particularly toxic mix [of treatment], which we’re very grateful for because it cured the leukaemia … But that stronger treatment has now caused his neuropathy.”

Despite this, Rowan is looking forward to RBC Race for the Kids and raising “as much money for the new Children’s Cancer Centre as he possibly can”.

He’ll be participating with close friends who have supported him. Their team name is “Robo 20”; Robo is Rowan’s nickname, and 20 is the number on the back of his football shirt.

“He’s a very, very determined young man and quite inspirational,” Abby says.

For Abby, RBC Race for the Kids is an “amazing event”. She and her family and friends have taken part almost every year since Rowan first arrived at GOSH.

“Hyde Park is just one of our favourite locations. I like it because it’s particularly flat for when you run round!” she explains.

“It’s such a lovely walk. Grandparents can come too and just stroll round the track. Rowan’s grandparents will be coming along and will bring their dog.

“That’s the beauty of Race for the Kids, you don’t have to race. You can saunter along with your dog at your own leisure. It’s all about taking part, raising money for a great cause. It’s always a wonderful atmosphere and we always see lots of other families that we’ve met previously at GOSH.”

Are you thinking of taking part this year? We’d love to see you there.