Record Numbers Take Steps Towards a Dementia Cure as Walk For A Cure Raises More Than £600,000

A record 4,945 people signed up to Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Walk For A Cure this year, raising more than £600,000 for dementia research, the charity has announced.

Now in its fourth year, the event grew in 2026 by offering more ways to take part, from shorter walks to longer hiking challenges.

Seven organised walks of up to 5km took place in Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Poole and Worcestershire. Walkers seeking a tougher test could sign up for one of two hiking challenges, in the Peak District and the Cotswolds, with routes of up to 42km.

Those unable to travel to an organised event could join Walk For A Cure Anywhere, choosing their own route and walking wherever they were. Families, friends and colleagues all took part.

Alzheimer’s Research UK says the £600,000 raised could fund 15,000 hours of dementia research. That is the equivalent of one scientist working full-time for more than six years, giving researchers time to test new ideas and make discoveries.

The charity describes the event as a growing nationwide movement, with many participants walking for a loved one, in memory of someone they have lost, or alongside others affected by dementia.

Dementia touches the daily work of residential and nursing homes across the UK, and events like Walk For A Cure offer a way for staff, residents’ families and local communities to get involved. A walk, whether at a set event or on a route of a team’s own choosing, can be a simple way to bring people together around a cause that matters to many care settings.

Anyone interested in taking part next year can register their interest in Walk For A Cure 2027 on the charity’s website at walk.alzheimersresearchuk.org/coming-soon.