RUN for FREE
Secure Your Spot in the 7News Marathon and the McDonalds Half Marathon.
Looking for a way to enter the 7News Marathon and the McDonalds Half Marathon? A Charity Place could be your ticket to the start line!
What is a Charity Place?
We’ve partnered with our charities partners to offer a limited number of Charity Place Entries—providing guaranteed access to the race in exchange for fundraising support. Once you hit your fundraising goal, your chosen charity will cover your race registration fee!
By securing a Charity Place, you’ll gain an entry while making a meaningful impact by raising vital funds for our charity partners.
How Much Do I Need to Raise?
To claim a Charity Place, runners must commit to raising a minimum of $1,000 for one of our official charity partners below.
How to Apply for a Charity Place
- Choose a Charity – Browse our Charity Partners below and select a cause that inspires you.
- Submit Your Application – Apply for a Charity Place with your chosen charity.
- Start Fundraising – If you are a successful applicant, you will be able to start working towards your fundraising target for your charity.
Charity Places are limited and highly sought after—don’t miss your chance to run for a reason at the 2026 7Cairns Marathon Festival!
Major Beneficiary
Cure Cancer
Cure Cancer is an Australian charity dedicated to kick-starting bold new research ideas across every type of cancer. By supporting the very best early-career researchers, we give them the opportunity to pursue innovative projects that will change the way cancer is detected, treated and ultimately cured. Working together with our community of supporters, partners and scientists, we strive to find the most impactful solutions and bring them to life in record time - accelerating progress to save millions of lives.
Charity Partners
Running for Premature Babies
Founded by a grieving mum after losing all three of her prematurely born triplets, Running for Premature Babies provides urgently needed lifesaving equipment to hospitals around Australia. To date the charity has raised over $9 million, helping save the lives of over 10,000 babies.
Use your run to make a tangible difference to the lives of sick and premature babies. Fundraise for cutting edge neonatal equipment for hospitals in need around Victoria and the rest of Australia, and you'll help save a baby's life.
Children's Hospital Foundation
Queensland Children’s Hospital treats the state's sickest and most critically injured children, with one in three children coming from regional and remote parts of our state. With over 278,000 outpatient appointments and 45,000 inpatient admissions annually, the Queensland Children’s Hospital is essential to providing the best possible care to children and their families. Start fundraising today to make a difference for our state’s sickest and most critically injured children.
Beyond Blue
3 million people in Australia are living with anxiety or depression. Every day, nearly eight people take their own lives. Beyond Blue provides information and support to help every person in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.
Cure Brain Cancer Foundation
Almost 1,900 people are diagnosed with brain cancer every year in Australia, but the survival rate remains stubbornly low. Currently, only 1 in 5 people will live more than 5 years past their initial diagnosis.
Cure Brain Cancer’s mission is clear: unite our community to increase brain cancer survival and quality of life. With your support, we can continue to fund the innovative and ground-breaking research that could, one day, make a cure for brain cancer a reality.
Guide Dogs Queensland
Guide Dogs Queensland empowers people with low vision or blindness to achieve independence, participation, inclusion and wellbeing.
Pancare Foundation
Pancare Foundation is a leading charity committed to inspiring hope, raising awareness, supporting families and funding research for upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. With some of the lowest survival rates out of all the major cancers, we are dedicated to improving outcomes for those affected by upper GI cancers including pancreatic, liver, stomach, biliary and oesophageal cancers.
