WOMEN from Oxford’s Race for Life events are being urged to sprint to get their money in.

Three Race for Life events took place at University Parks on June 5 and 6, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for cancer research carried out in Oxford.

Now Lindsay White, one of the competitors who was running with her sister Suzi Carthy – who spent two years beating breast cancer – appealed on before of Cancer Research UK for entrants to send in all the money they have raised.

Mrs White, 37, from Faringdon, said: “Before she had cancer, Suzi had done Race for Life, but I hadn’t.

“But when cancer touches someone close to you, events like this take on a whole new importance and we have done it together now for the last two years, holding hands as we cross the finish line.”

Mrs Carthy, 39 and also from Faringdon, started chemo-therapy in April 2008 and required a mastectomy, radiotherapy and reconstructive surgery.

Mrs White, who works for the Blue Cross animal charity, continued: “The first year we did Race for Life together, Suzi was going through chemo and feeling terrible.

“This year, she is cancer-free, back at work and life is good, and that is all thanks to the work scientists are doing.

“This year we ran the Saturday morning race with friends wearing tutus and I was overwhelmed by the feeling of taking part and seeing all those people, like Suzi, running to help others.”

She added: “Things are really moving forward in cancer research, including finding ways of making chemo easier for patients and of stopping people losing their hair – which upset Suzi a lot.

“We would encourage everyone who took part to get their sponsorship money in as soon as possible. It really makes a difference.”

Sponsorship money is already arriving at Cancer Research UK after the Oxford races.

But the charity, aiming to raise £470,000, urges competitors to return their money as soon as possible Helen Johnstone, of Cancer Research UK, said: “By taking part in Race for Life, women pledged to help fund research into a disease that one in three people in the UK will develop at some stage in their lives.

“We need them to keep that promise and help us continue our life-saving work by returning their sponsorship money as soon as possible.”

Cancer Research UK spent £32m last year in Oxford on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.

The new Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology is making radiotherapy more effective with fewer side-effects.

To make a donation or pay sponsorship money, visit raceforlife.org