Tag Archives: CRUK

IF NOT JIM COWAN, WHO DO CANCER RESEARCH UK CREDIT WITH CREATING THE RACE FOR LIFE?

Given Cancer Research UK’s continued lies about Jim Cowan and the claim he did not create the Race for Life, even recently costing him a job offer, you would think they would offer a consistent alternative as to where the event started, as to how it was created.

After all, they must have records of the discussions and the meetings which led to the event’s creation? And, given that, surely they paint a consistent story as to the events beginnings?

Well, no. They don’t. But that is the problem with falsehoods, eventually you forget what you claimed and claim something else. And, of course, you have no evidence to support your fiction because it is just that, fiction. No records of discussions, of meetings, of correspondence. Because they don’t exist.

Interested in checking out Cancer Research UK’s false claims, we have done a little research which has exposed a story which keeps changing. There may be more and different claims, but in only one day’s digging, this is what we have uncovered:

1994

In a letter from Jill MacRae, its then National Events Manager, what was then the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) credited Jim Cowan with coming to them with the original idea for the Race for Life. This was the last time they were honest about who created the event.

1995

After severing all ties to Jim Cowan, Jill MacRae started to claim she came up with the Race for Life herself. It would appear that ICRF believed her. She went on to build a career on the false claim.

2000

In an article in the 19th July issue of Athletics Weekly, an ICRF spokesperson claimed that the Race for Life was based on, “a concept from America called Walk for a Cure.”

In the same issue of Athletics Weekly, a letter from Louise Holland, ICRF’s Race for Life Director, stated, “the concept was taken from the Susan Komen Foundation.”

2013

In November of 2013, Jill MacRae contacted Jim Cowan via Linked In and email threatening legal action if he did not stop claiming to have created the Race for Life. Supported by Jane Arnell, Tony Elischer, and Sarah Guthrie (former colleagues of hers at ICRF/CRUK), she claimed they were all “shocked” by Jim’s “misleading claims.” MacRae claimed to have never heard of Jim Cowan and asserted that her colleagues had not either. This 1994 letter from Jill MacRae to Jim Cowan exposes that lie. We will be sharing more evidence that includes correspondence to and from Jill Macrae to support Jim’s position in the coming days and weeks. 

Also in November of 2013, Jill MacRae amended the Race for Life entry on Wikipedia to state; “Race for Life was created by fundraisers Jill MacRae (nee Baker) and Jane Arnell at what was then the Imperial CancerResearch Fund.” At Jim’s request, supported by evidence, Wikipedia amended the page to show the truth, that the creator of the Race for Life was him.

On 12th December, Jim Cowan responded to Jill MacRae’s threats stating; “To say that I am surprised at both your claims and your accusation would be an understatement. Your cynical duplicity in laying claim to the original idea is preposterous and your accusation that my own claims are untrue is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.”

Jim has not heard from MacRae, or her colleagues, since. Why not, we wonder?

2016

Jim Cowan was advised that the website ‘Informed Edinburgh’ had carried an article titled ‘Spotlight on Jill MacRae’ in which she stated; “I created the Race for Life and organised the very first 5K event way back in 1993 (sic), when I was National Events Manager at what is now Cancer Research UK. The article was removed after Jim contacted the website advising them that, “Ms MacRae knows this not to be the case.”

2017

In May 2017 , Nicki Ford from Cancer Research UK stated, “We do not publicly credit anyone with originating the event.”

In September 2017, Cancer Research UK’s Chairman, Prof. Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, stated, “We do not credit anyone with originating the event.”

It would appear that, unable to prove any of the previous claims Cancer Research UK and, primarily, Jill MacRae had made about the creation of the event, the policy was now to simply shut up and claim nothing.

2018

Maybe she didn’t get the memo shared by Ford and Borysiewicz, or maybe it was just time to change the claim again, but this month (May), Cancer Research UK’s current National Events Manager, Annette Quarry, stated that the original pilot was from yet another different source, this time the American Cancer Society.

We now wait with baited breath for the next claim as to the creation of the Race for Life. There are two things we know for sure though:

  1. While CRUK’s story keeps changing, Jim Cowan’s has remained consistent throughout.
  2. While CRUK and their various employees (current and former) have offered no supporting evidence for any of their claims, Jim Cowan has. Race 4 Truth will be sharing more of that evidence over the coming weeks.

OVER 18000 DONORS NEEDED JUST TO PAY CANCER RESEARCH UK’S CEO

We have probably all seen those television advertisements pleading with you to “donate just £2 a month to cancer research.”

The glossy productions tug at the heartstrings and surely only the hardest of hearts would not be moved to being at least tempted to sign up?

But, what the glossy advertisements don’t tell you is that Cancer Research UK need over 18,000 to sign up to donate “just £2 a month” for a year solely to cover the cost of their Chief Executive, one of, if not the, most expensive in the sector.*

And that is without including the cost of making the commercial and of buying the prime time advertising slots!

Please, make sure that when you donate your hard earned money, it is more likely to be used for research into cancer than to pay the grossly inflated salaries at a charity which lies about the origins of its own largest fundraising event (the Race for Life).

How? Choose a different charity which funds and supports research into cancer such as The Institute of Cancer Research, Worldwide Cancer Research, or World Cancer Research Fund

*On-costs calculated using https://goodcalculators.com/true-cost-of-an-employee-calculator/

KEEP SUPPORTING THE RESEARCH (JUST NOT CANCER RESEARCH UK)

We are grateful to everyone who supports our campaign but ask that if you decide to stop supporting Cancer Research UK (as some already have) this does not mean you stop funding vital research into finding treatments and cures for cancer.

Most, if not all, of us have been touched by cancer. Indeed, it was the news of the cancer diagnosis which eventually took his father’s life which started Jim Cowan on the path which led to his creating the Race for Life. Jim would give anything to have had more months, more years with his dad and would strongly advocate supporting research into the disease so fewer people have to go through what his father, he, and his family went through.

Fortunately, there are other charities, charities with integrity, funding and carrying out research into treatments and cures for cancer. And the good news is that these charities are already carrying out life changing and life saving research. All they need to continue doing this invaluable work is your support.

So, let’s not make the campaign to get Cancer Research UK to stop the lies about the Race for Life’s origins into one which negatively affects research into the disease.

By all means stop supporting Cancer Research UK, by all means protest their lies and their lack of integrity, but please, continue to support research into cancer through other, more honest charities.

Below are links to three UK based charities funding and conducting research into cancer. If you know of others, please provide details and links by replying to this article:

The Institute of Cancer Research

Worldwide Cancer Research

World Cancer Research Fund

CORRESPONDENCE FROM IMPERIAL CANCER RESEARCH FUND CONFIRMS THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS JIM COWAN’S

Cancer Research UK might continue to deny Jim Cowan had anything to do with the Race for Life but, in doing so, they ignore correspondence which clearly shows that he came to them with the ‘original idea’ (their words).

One such example is this letter from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund’s (Cancer Research UK’s former name) then National Events Manager Jill MacRae in which she states; “Mr Cowan came to us with the original idea and worked alongside us to both promote and organise the event.”

Interestingly, as we will evidence in a future article, Jill MacRae is one of the people who has since claimed to have created the event herself, one of many ‘stories’ used by Cancer Research UK to deny Jim the recognition he so rightly deserves.

It is time for Cancer Research UK to stop lying and to put right the wrongs done to Jim and give him the credit he deserves.