Tag Archives: Race 4 Truth

THE RACE 4 TRUTH – HOW YOU CAN HELP

You can help us to persuade Cancer Research UK to finally recognise Jim Cowan as the creator of the Race for Life.

How?

Use one or more of the following ideas to expose the lies and share the facts:

  • Like, share, follow, tweet and retweet.

Make social media do the leg work. When you see a post or a tweet from us, like it and share it to help us get the facts out there.

Race 4 Truth on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter.

  • Tell friends and family about the Race 4 Truth.

Word of mouth, whether online, by phone, or face to face is still the most effective way to share news about a campaign.

  • Comment on (or tweet to) Cancer Research UK’s and Race for Life’s Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

Direct interaction will force a quicker response and puts them in a position where they have to choose between more lies or admitting to the truth.

Cancer Research UK on Facebook and on Twitter.

Race for Life on Facebook and on Twitter.

  • Tell the media about the Race 4 Truth campaign.

Whether local or national, whether printed, online, radio, or television, Cancer Research UK are far more likely to correct the wrongs of the past if there is a media spotlight on them. Write, email, or engage via social media to get journalists informed.

  • Write to or email Cancer Research UK.

Demand answers as to their history of falsifying the creation of the Race for Life and ask why they are not telling the truth, why they do not give Jim Cowan due credit?

Cancer Research UK Chief Executive:

Write to him at: Sir Harpal S Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Research UK, Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London EC1V 4AD.

Email him at: [email protected]

Cancer Research UK National Events Manager:

Write to her at: Annette Quarry, National Events Manager, Cancer Research UK, Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London EC1V 4AD.

Email her at: [email protected]

  • Withdraw your support from Cancer Research UK.

Nothing will get results faster than hitting them in the pocket. Don’t enter the Race for Life, don’t take part in their other events, don’t donate, don’t play their lottery, don’t leave them anything in your will…..don’t support them.

But do continue to support research into cancer by switching your support to other charities:

The Institute of Cancer Research

Worldwide Cancer Research

World Cancer Research Fund

Don’t let dishonesty win.

Support the Race 4 Truth.

THE RACE FOR LIFE WAS JIM COWAN’S ORIGINAL IDEA, AS HIS 1993 PROPOSAL LETTER PROVES

Early in 1993, John Cowan was diagnosed with the Prostate Cancer which would eventually take his life. The diagnosis motivated John’s son, Jim, to create a fundraising event to support the fight against cancer.

Through the summer of 1993, he researched what events already existed and searched for a ‘gap in the market’ – a gap big enough that it could be fully exploited to raise significant funds and increase awareness.

Although his starting point was his father’s Prostate Cancer, he ended up creating an event which raised funds for, and raised awareness of, women’s cancers. That event was to be called ‘The Race For Life.’

Jim had already organised a number of different fundraising events for good causes and also organised some road running events.

Using the road running events as a starting point, he identified that women were seriously under-represented in running events, often with fewer than 15% of fields. It occurred to him that, surely, more women must want to run these events but, for some reason, weren’t, So, he decided to discover why not?

He found three key things were preventing women from taking part in road running:

1. The distances were generally considered too long. At the time most events were 5 miles and further. 5km road events were few and far between, 5000m being seen more as a track athlete’s event.

2. The events that were available were not viewed as ‘female friendly.’ The general atmosphere was very male dominated and, it was felt, unwelcoming for women.

3. Existing races were overly competitive, very serious and, put simply, just not fun.

Jim realised that, providing a solution to these issues would combine very well with his desire to create a new fundraising event to support the fight against cancer. That solution was to create a series of 5km runs, open only to women, which focused on fun not on competition. He called his idea, ‘The Race For Life.’

Initially, Jim took his idea to a breast cancer charity which, following consideration, declined the idea having decided it would not work. Then a conversation with a friend at his local athletic club opened the door to making an approach to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF – Cancer Research UK’s former name). That friend was about to start temping at the charity and promised to find a contact name for Jim to approach.

This she did, and on 5th October 1993 Jim wrote to ICRF’s Events Manager, Jill MacRae (nee Baker), outlining his idea. A meeting was arranged, which then led to Jim organising the very first Race for Life in Battersea Park in 1994.

The rest should be a matter of historical record. However, following the successful launch Jill MacRae decided to falsely claim the idea as her own and ICRF, and later CRUK, have denied the idea was Jim’s, coming up with a range of different stories and whitewashing him from any mention in association with the event.

It is time for Cancer Research UK to do the right thing, stop the lies, and recognise Jim for his amazing creation, one which has benefitted the charity by many hundreds of millions of pounds, opened up running to women, and which changed the fundraising landscape in the UK forever.

And, one which should be a fitting tribute from a son to his deceased father.

Below, a copy of Jim’s original letter proposing the Race for Life to ICRF/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.

LAUNCHING ‘RACE 4 TRUTH’ – WHY NOW?

It is 25 years since Jim Cowan came up with the idea for the Race for Life and for 23 of those years Cancer Research UK (and their predecessor the Imperial Cancer Research Fund) have denied Jim had anything to do with the event.

So why start this campaign to uncover the truth now?

The answer is that Cancer Research UK finally did something which saw Jim say ‘enough is enough” and share details of their latest lie on his Facebook timeline.

His post led to an outpouring of support from his friends, and from people he has never met. Having read the post, we decided the best support we could offer Jim was to run a campaign to uncover the truth and demand Jim receive the recognition he deserves.

Jim agreed to our idea and will be allowing us to share copies of evidence from the event’s beginnings and from the intervening years.

But what was that action by Cancer Research UK which caused Jim to say “enough is enough” after all these years?

Jim has consented to our copying the post he put on Facebook, the post which led to such a big outpouring of support and which motivated us to start this campaign.

That post read:

Is there a charity with less integrity than Cancer Research UK?

I thought long and hard before posting this but I am fed up with this charity and their campaign of lies about the origins of the Race for Life. Up to now I have been frustrated by it, annoyed by it, and (of course) missed out of the recognition due for being the creator of the event and, some might say, the change in the UK charity fundraising landscape that came with it.

But now their lie is adversely affecting my next career move.

Yesterday, I received a phone call from the HR department of a large charity at which I had recently been interviewed for a new role. The call was to inform me that, although they felt I was by far the best candidate, they would not be offering me the role.

The reason? They had contacted some of the charities on my CV to check my history and all but one had checked out. The one? Cancer Research UK claimed to have never heard of me and denied I had ever had anything to do with the Race for Life.

Enough is enough. Their continued lying needs exposing.

AND EXPOSING THE LYING IS WHAT RACE 4 TRUTH SETS OUT TO DO!