I was really irritated by Race For Life yesterday.

[EleanorHandbasket]

I did it, along with other members of my family, including myAunt who has terminal liver cancer (she started and finished with us but sat out the bulk of it). We ambled round, we weren't in it for the running (I could have done but not my Mum).

It was a very emotional and wonderful day, and Cancer Research do amazing things.

But it was all so PINK. And there was Zumba-esque warm ups, and they called us all 'girls' or 'ladies', and there were half naked men to tittilate us during the Zumba bit and it was just all so bloody GIRLY and patronising.

It's me, isn't it? I'm becoming a professionally offended type.

I just found it unnecessary.

Hardly whingeing - just an observation that if men were allowed (ie not prevented and given the opportunity to choose in this enlightened, democratic, non-segregated the rest of the time society) to take part then perhaps more families and couples and god forbid, men, might choose this charity race over others. Don't forget, race organisers are competing for a finite pot, so anything that increases the potential market must be a good thing. As I said upthread, I've taken the decision to support other cancer charities as a result of discovering that it excludes men and boys - just as I would withdraw support from a race which prevented women taking part. Perhaps others feel the same?

They may have done their research, but falling numbers would indicate that there is something wrong with this research.

Firstly, My thoughts go out to everyone affected by Cancer. It's a bloody awful disease.

I love and loathe RF and Movember in equal measure.

I love that it makes people talk about issues they wouldn't normally get involved with.

I love that when my lovely FIL had cancer, I had a a space to do 'my thing' that was just about me and not about supporting my DH or my MIL. It was my space to have a sob and be inspired all on the same morning.

I loathe the jolly hen/stag night antics and the whole glitter/funky low down funky funkster macho male nonsense. But I loathe that anyway, it's not just because it's been adopted by these charities....

That is what society is becoming now and YANBU if you object to our expectations being lowered slowly but surely.

...and finally as well and firstly, my thoughts go out to everyone affected by Cancer. It's a bloody awful disease.

Chunky - speaking as a women in her mid forties, I can assure you it would not be at all difficult for me to take part in Movember

I somehow suspect that the organisers of Movember would not prevent women from throwing away the wax and growing their taches if they so choose.

Actually I quite like that it's just for women.

It's just that in my ideal world, it could be just for women AND be grown up and non-patronising.

Perhaps in response to Movember, we chuck out the Immac (or is it now Veet?) and have hairy armpits and legs for the whole of July?

In an ideal world, everyone would stand together to try and beat cancer because unlike people, cancer does not discriminate.

I saw plenty of women wear fake moustaches for Movember.

Agree Rhubarb

EcoRI - as I said on the last thread on this subject, I have known charities try and do the equivalent male-oriented events and get next to no publicity whatsoever from the media. I know they tried to do a local one and the take-up was so small plans for one the following year were scrubbed. Guess what? Most of us only heard about this when the local newspaper reported on the poor take up and cancellation of next year's proposed event. The same local newspaper that did nothing to help advertise the first event that might have helped it be successful.

I don't do it as I've run a few half marathons and one marathon, so I feel like asking people to sponsor me for doing 5k is taking the piss. And your entry fee doesn't go to charity as it just covers the admin, so without sponsors there is no point.

Fillyjonk75 I won't be doing it again as we have no sponsors so my dd and I have just paid their admin fees which must be huge at the prices they charge.

Eleanor - your last post sums it up exactly for me.

Mostly, I think YANBU

It is a good cause and does raise a lot of money so, really, any objections should be overlooked; but it is hard.

For me it's not so much the pink overload (I actually like pink though I wouldn't choose to run in aything fluffy, made of net or with bits that get in the way) but more the idea that women can't cope with real exercise. It makes me twitch that we're seen as weak and 'girly' and have to be reduced to Zumba and 5Ks that can be walked for goodness sake.

I don't think the Zumba bit is patronising though. I only fear I would be knackered before I start as I find it as hard as running itself!

And Zumba definitely is real exercise. The way I do it anyway. A lady brought her slim 17 year old daughter to the class the other day and she had to sit down after 20 minutes.

Hats off to all who do Race For Life but, from your description Eleanor, I would have hated it too!

Mine is on Father's Day, just to rub it in the faces of the men even more , I shall not be wearing pink but will try to partipate as best I can for the cause and will try to drum up some sponsorship, even if it's only a couple of pounds.

As for it being 5k, well there are longer races available but many children are able to participate in the 5k race (as long as they are girls) so it's just right for a 'fun run' which is what it basically is.

Of all the justgiving pages I've seen for the Race for Life, none are notching up much over £100 and some are like mine, stuck on zero.

i think zumba caters for the same kind of excerciser who indulges in aqua fit

That's the irony, I normally run in pink (hi-vis pink running jacket) and I like it as a colour, it's just the fluffy, ditzy, feathers, sparkles and general girliness that I hate.

The pink is a bit lowest-common-denominatorish; all women love pink, blah blah. Just like every single advert around World Cup time is football-themed, because all men love football, blah blah.

But hey, if lowest common denominator is what it takes to get lots of people involved and raise money, then so be it. As THERhubarb points out though, people don't tend to raise huge amounts, probably partly because so many people do the Race for Life now. If everyone knows half a dozen or more people that are doing it, chances are they can't afford to sponsor them all. I wonder if there's a trade off between the popularity of the event and the amount that individuals raise.

I run, do weights & cardio in the gym and Zumba twice a week. Zumba helps balance, co-ordination and flexibility in the way that the other types of exercise don't. Also it's fun, which is the main thing with any exercise.

Yippee - the event is actually decreasing in popularity, and numbers are down

Some one up thread mentioned The Moonwalk... this is an event organised by a charity called Walk The Walk...

It is open to people of all sexes. Walking through the night in a decorated bra is the trade mark of the event but not everyone does. It is a brilliant event. I've done it 3 years running now and am off to Edinburgh on Friday to take part in the Moonwalk there.

Some people really get into the whole bra wearing thing and some people don't. A bloke I know that did it found the cups very useful for storing his jelly babies!

i don't get it.you support a charity by taking part in rfl, then come on here and totally undermine the event andput others off taking part

Who is 'put off' taking part?

I did Race for Life yesterday too, with my mum, who has had breast cancer. We do at least 2 a year, and have done for the last few years. We both hate the patronising pink girliness and being called 'ladies' by the male compere the whole time.
We do it despite that because we like running in a supportive all-female atmosphere and it gives us something to train towards (ie. it gets us up off our arses!)
If anyone from Cancer Research is reading this, please check out the Pink Stinks campaign and knock it off with the 'ladies' nonsense. Oh and also, where were the goodie bags this year? I liked the product trial freebies!