The 25 largest charity-owned mass participation fundraising events raised a combined £136m last year, up £4m on the previous one, according to a new report.
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life retained the number one spot in the Massive Top 25 rankings by raising £35m in 2025, a £2m decline on the previous year.
The rest of the top five events – Movember, Kiltwalk and Macmillan’s Coffee Morning and Mighty Hikes events – were also unchanged from the year before.
Walking events rose in prominence last year, accounting for 35% of all income across the Massive Top 25, with long-distance walks surging in particular.
Alzheimer’s Society’s Trek26 grew income by 41% year-on-year to £7.3m, while Macmillan’s Mighty Hikes grew by 30% £14.7m and Cancer Research UK’s Big Hike increased by 35% to £1.9m.
Virtual events continued to decline in the rankings, with only Cancer Research UK’s Walk 30 Miles among the top 20.
Three events that had been in the list for more than a decade – Relay for Life, Sober October and Brave the Shave – dropped out last year.
Meanwhile, there were six new entries, more than in any year outside the pandemic, including Action Medical Research’s Race the Sun, which raised £1.4m.
Among the 25, 16 grew their income year-on-year, four remained flat, and five saw declines.
John Tasker, partner at Massive, said: “Despite some of the bigger events slowing this year, reporting a fourth consecutive year of growth for events fundraising, with six new entries, one re-entry and eight events growing income by 30% or more in a single year, demonstrates the resilience of events as a way to engage supporters through both good and more challenging times.”
Related articles
