Charlotte Moffatt, a mother of 8-year-old twins, is once again taking part in The Christie Charity’s Festive Dash just one year after starting treatment for stage 3 rectal cancer.
Charlotte will pull on her trainers for the 5K Christmas themed fun run at Wythenshawe Park on Sunday 29 November 2026 but this time, she’ll be celebrating a very different milestone.
Last year Charlotte, aged 43 from Sale, took part in the Festive Dash having completed radiotherapy, and just one week before starting chemotherapy for stage 3 rectal cancer at The Christie hospital in Manchester. Since then, she has been through 4 rounds of chemotherapy, major surgery to remove her rectum and part of her colon, and further surgery to reverse a temporary stoma.
On 29 May 2026, Charlotte got the news her treatment had worked and she was cancer-free, and on 19 August her stoma was reversed.
3 months on from surgery, she is returning to the Festive Dash to raise money for The Christie Charity and give something back to the people who saved her life. Charlotte said: “I cannot thank The Christie enough for the care I have received over the past 18 months, so what better way to raise some money than to take my battered, bruised and rectumless body for a 5K run!
“I’m definitely weaker than I was a year ago, so this really will be a challenge. But I’m determined to do it to show that this disease has not beaten me.
“And the fact that it’s on my birthday makes it extra special. It’s a birthday I wasn’t sure I’d see, so being able to celebrate it by running 5K for The Christie Charity feels pretty amazing.”
Charlotte will be joined by her sister-in-law Beth Taylor from Stockport, a nurse at The Christie who has supported her throughout her treatment.
Charlotte said: “Beth has been absolutely amazing over the past year. She’s been there through the highs and lows, and I couldn’t ask for a stronger, more resilient person to run alongside me. I’m incredibly proud of her and it’s a pleasure to be running alongside her for The Christie Charity.”
The Festive Dash will see hundreds of supporters descend on Wythenshawe Park, with participants encouraged to dress up as Santa, elves, reindeer and snowmen.
The family-friendly event will feature festive entertainment, face painting and treats at the finish line, with dogs also welcome to join the fun.
Money raised through this year’s Festive Dash will support The Christie Charity’s Scanning Centre Appeal, which is helping to fund a new state-of-the-art scanning centre at The Christie.
The new scanning centre will give clinicians access to the latest imaging technology, helping them better understand cancer, plan treatment more precisely and monitor how patients respond.
Josh Hughff, Mass Participation Events Officer at The Christie Charity, said: “We were thrilled to hear the news that Charlotte’s treatment had worked and she was declared cancer free. We are incredibly proud to be able to fund the type of treatment and research that can and does save lives every single day.
“Ultimately, we can’t fund it by ourselves, and we are beyond grateful to Charlotte and supporters like her who take part in these events, even on their birthday!
“The money Charlotte and others will raise at our Festive Dash makes a huge difference; and in this case, will help us build an entirely new scanning centre to ensure we’re catching cancer earlier, treating it more efficiently, and giving our patients the best chance of a healthy, happy life beyond cancer.”
The Christie Charity Festive Dash takes place at Wythenshawe Park on Sunday 29 November 2026. The event village opens at 9.30am, with the 5K setting off at 10.30am.
To find out more or sign up, visit The Christie Charity Festive Dash.
To support the work of The Christie Charity, please go to Donate today or ring 0161 446 3988.
The Christie Charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education, and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to cancer patients and their families.