Two women who became friends after being diagnosed with cancer within weeks of each other launched the charity running event, which has raised more than £600,000.
Alison Garven and Kirsty Ogilvie sounded the starting horn at the Race for Life in Glasgow on Sunday morning, where around 5,000 people took part in 5km and 3km runs.
The route of the Race for Life event involved the Trongate area, however it was not affected by the football-related disorder which took place there the previous evening
The two friends are now cancer-free, having both inherited a fault gene, BRCA1, which increases their risk of some cancers.
A total of £642,321 was raised for Cancer Research UK – Over the last 50 years, the charity’s work has helped double breast cancer survival in the UK.
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Alison, 54, who is from East Renfrewshire, said she was proud to start the race alongside her friend.
She said: “Kirsty came in to my life at exactly the right time.
“Our friendship meant there was someone there for me who completely understood what I was going through, the treatment, the decisions, the fears.
“I remember just days after having surgery last year I was at Race for Life Glasgow, cheering my amazing sister Suzanne on as she crossed the finish line. What a difference a year makes.
“It feels brilliant to be back for 2026, to feel well and to actually have taken part this year.”
Alison was diagnosed with a form of breast cancer in 2024.
She was in regular touch with Kirsty, from Renfrewshire, who was diagnosed with breast cancer the following month.
They had both first met through an organisation, the BRCA+ Chat support group, which is related to the faulty gene they had inherited.
Kirsty, 44, said: “I had brilliant support from my family, friends and medical staff but cancer took a lot away from me.
“I remember my hair started to fall out over Christmas time then on New Year’s Day I decided to take back some control and shave the rest of it off.
“Meeting Alison made a huge difference and continues to do so.
“There’s something powerful about chatting to and messaging someone who has walked the same path.”
Kirsty had 16 rounds of chemotherapy followed by a nine-hour double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery in May last year at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
She later had keyhole surgery to remove both ovaries to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
The side effects of chemotherapy treatment meant she lost her hair, and she also faced 15 sessions of radiotherapy at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.
Pictures from Race For Life in Glasgow – can you spot yourself?
Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK’s spokeswoman in Scotland, praised those who took part in the Race for Life.
She said: “It was a special day as people came together to celebrate the lives of those dear to them who have survived cancer and to remember loved ones lost to the disease.
“Now we’re asking everyone who took part to return the money they’re raised as soon as possible.
“Every donation, every pound raised will make a real difference and help people live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.”
Statistics show that between five and 10 per cent of cancers diagnosed are linked to an inherited faulty gene. Only around one in 400 people have a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.
Researchers think that around 70 per cent of women with a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene will develop breast cancer by the age of 80.
Every year, around 36,700 people are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.
