Organisers of one of the region’s much-loved events are gearing up for another colour-drenched day of fundraising.
The annual Colour Run has raised more than £175,000 for cancer services since it was introduced by Lingen Davies Cancer Support. The long-running organisation now delivers three events on the same day in May across three locations, giving more people the chance to have fun and support those impacted by cancer throughout the community.
Inspired by the theme of the charity’s largest ever appeal – the £5million Sunflower Appeal to establish the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford – this year’s 5k colour run is the Sunflower Sprint (or saunter).
New venues for 2026 include Telford Town Park, Leaton Forest outside Shrewsbury, and the Meadow Springs Holiday Park near Caersws. Taking place on Sunday, 17th May, the Sunflower Sprint will deliver an immersive sunflower theme with participants sprinting, skipping, or sauntering around off-road routes while being doused with coloured powder paint.
Emilie Kerr, Lingen Davies’ Events and Marketing Coordinator, said: “We’re very excited to offer our supporters a fun twist on our much-loved colour runs, complete with two new locations for 2026.
“Tremendous thanks to Leaton Forest, Meadow Springs Leisure Park, and Telford & Wrekin Council who have given their full support to our Sunflower Appeal. Telford Council are kindly allowing us to run our Telford Sunflower Sprint in the Town Park, a fabulous new location and one which is already proving very popular with attendees.
“It’s a brilliant community event, we’ve had largescale sunflowers made for us by Stoke Heath Prison and they’ve now been taken to a few local schools who are painting them for us, they will help adorn the courses for the Sprint.
“Thanks to our many sponsors who are helping make this event even more successful including Dyke Yaxley, PCB Solicitors, Pipekit, EB Critical, Pave Aways, Shropshire Homes, Fodens, S J Roberts, Lowfield Timber Frames, Makefast, McPhillips, and Nidec.
“We hope as many people as possible can join us to raise much-needed funds for those impacted by cancer throughout our region. Get your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues together for real fun in fundraising,” she added.
Tickets for the event are £19 for adults and £9.50 for children. Discounted family tickets are available via Lingen Davies’ website.
Lingen Davies Cancer Support is the primary cancer charity for people living with and beyond cancer in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales. The new Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital is scheduled to open in 2029. This development will double chemotherapy capacity across the region as well as delivering a outpatients’ clinics and new lung and urology clinics.
Nearly 40% of patients currently accessing the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital have a TF postcode. Bringing cancer care closer to home for those people, and freeing up capacity for others, will ensure people receive the care they need, where they need, quicker.
Find out more and sign up for the Sunflower Sprint at www.lingendavies.co.uk/events/sunflower-sprint
Lorna Green and Lou Childs with one of the sunflowers created and donated by Stoke Heath Prison.
