Realbuzz, a Manchester-based global fundraising platform, has reported a record-breaking year in its FY24/25 Impact Report. The platform has raised over £12.6 million for charity through its global network of runners and events, marking its most successful year since its launch in 2002. Overall, realbuzz has now helped raise over £1 billion for charities across three continents.
The platform has been at the forefront of the global boom in charity running, as a new generation of runners emerged post-pandemic. Realbuzz has partnered with major races such as the Tokyo Marathon and the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON to drive charity participation internationally.
With over two decades of experience, realbuzz is on a mission to make charity running more accessible worldwide. The platform supports a wide range of causes, partnering with global names like Make-A-Wish and the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, as well as hundreds of grassroots charities. It helps these charities reach new audiences, break fundraising records, and turn miles into life-changing impact.
Realbuzz has seen a surge in demand for charity places, particularly from Gen Z (16–27) and younger Millennials (28–43). These purpose-driven generations are reshaping the endurance space, with charity entries becoming the route into major events. As general entries for these events disappear almost instantly, more runners are turning to charity places not just to gain entry, but to run with purpose.
In the past year alone, realbuzz supported runners logged over 230,000 miles for charity, with 15,796 runners participating in nearly 50 global events. Among the most popular events in the brand’s portfolio is the SuperHalfs Half Marathon Series, which now has over 90,000 registered runners. Charity entries for this series have increased by over 300% year on year.
Charities that have partnered with realbuzz have also seen significant benefits. Make-A-Wish UK, which joined the platform’s “Run with realbuzz” programme in 2023, raised £91,729 this year through 141 runners, 17% of whom came from outside of the UK. Buoyed by demand, the charity is now securing guaranteed places in high-profile events like the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
Another charity, the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) in Ireland, raised €144,861 at the Irish Life Dublin Marathon in 2024, with its 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.
In 2025, realbuzz achieved a major milestone by becoming the exclusive International Charity Partner of the Tokyo Marathon. This partnership 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, commented, “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 both 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 intends to keep redefining what’s possible in charity running.
For media preview only: Impact Report
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About realbuzz
realbuzz is the world’s leading provider of charity running programmes, with over twenty years’ experience connecting charities with runners and sell-out global events, raising vital funding for over 5,000 charities globally. The realbuzz 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 organisations looking to raise funds in some of the world’s
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.