Realbuzz, a Manchester-based global fundraising platform, has announced a record-breaking year in its FY24/25 Impact Report. The platform, which helps connect runners with charities, has raised over £12.6 million for charity through its network of events and runners. This brings the total amount raised by realbuzz since its launch in 2002 to over £1 billion, supporting 3,500 charities across three continents.
Realbuzz is a key player in some of the world’s most iconic charity programmes, partnering with major races to drive charity participation internationally. Collaborating with events such as the Tokyo Marathon and the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, realbuzz connects runners with important causes.
With a mission to make charity running more accessible worldwide, realbuzz supports a wide range of causes, including global names like Make-A-Wish and the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, as well as hundreds of grassroots charities. The platform helps these charities reach new audiences, break fundraising records, and make a significant impact with every mile.
The platform has seen a surge in demand for charity places, particularly from Gen Z (16-27) and younger Millennials (28-43) since the pandemic. This purpose-driven generation is reshaping the endurance space, with charity entries becoming the preferred route into major events. This has led to events selling out faster than ever before, with the 2026 Copenhagen Marathon selling out in under 24 hours and the Valencia and Copenhagen Half Marathons selling out in under two hours for the 2025 events. As a result, these races will be moving to a ballot system for 2026 and beyond. Realbuzz has seen a 300% increase in charity entries year on year.
In FY24/25, over 230,000 miles were logged by realbuzz-supported runners, with 15,796 runners participating in nearly 50 global events. One of the most popular events in the platform’s portfolio is the SuperHalfs Half Marathon Series, which has over 90,000 registered runners. The demand for charity entries has also surged, increasing by over 300% year on year.
The platform has also had a positive impact on the charities it partners with. Make-A-Wish UK, which joined realbuzz’s “Run with realbuzz” programme in 2023, raised £91,729 this year through 141 runners, with 17% of them coming from outside of the UK. The charity is now securing guaranteed places in high-profile events like the Berlin Marathon.
The National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) in Ireland raised €144,861 at the Irish Life Dublin Marathon in 2024, their largest team to date. The charity now works with realbuzz across major global events, including the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and London Landmarks Half Marathon.
Realbuzz also reached a major milestone in 2025, becoming the exclusive International Charity Partner of the Tokyo Marathon. This partnership has opened up the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors event to international charities for the first time in its history. The partnership is expected to generate over £2.5 million in fundraising in its first year for global charities, alongside the existing domestic charity programme for the event.
Kirsty Angove, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer at realbuzz, shared her thoughts on the platform’s success: “2024 marked a real turning point in the world of endurance running, and we’re witnessing a fundamental shift in how people approach the sport. More than ever, runners are looking for new challenges, with event participation booming, but also for a purpose to their miles. Charity places are fast becoming the most meaningful way to participate in major events, and general demand increases are driving more people into this fundraising channel. The overall demand we’re seeing from both runners and charities has exploded.
“We’re proud to be a part of this movement, linking world-class events with life-changing causes across the planet. The new partnerships we’re forging, like our exclusive collaboration with the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, alongside our growing brand and ambassador network, means we’re enabling more runners to make a difference than ever before.
“This Impact Report reflects the momentum we’ve built, but more importantly, it sets the stage for where we’re going.”
With another record-breaking year projected, realbuzz is expected to facilitate over £20 million in fundraising in FY25/26 and continues to redefine what is possible in charity running.
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About realbuzz:
Realbuzz is the world’s leading provider of charity running programmes, with over twenty years of experience connecting charities with runners and sell-out global events, raising vital funding for over 5,000 charities globally. The platform’s mission is to make charity running more accessible worldwide. From building and supporting charity programmes for major endurance events, ensuring they become major fundraising destinations for all partner charities, to recruiting and supporting runners and