The Mother’s Day Classic (MDC), one of Australia’s most cherished national fun runs and walks, has smashed its fundraising record, donating $3.5 million to breast and ovarian cancer research this year.
Proceeds from the 2025 Mother’s Day Classic take the fundraising total past $50 million in 28 years, an historic milestone in the fight against breast and ovarian cancer.
This year’s MDC donation is the largest in more than a decade, reflecting the extraordinary power of community, with over 90,000 Australians taking part in events at 80+ locations nationwide.
Of the 2025 total amount raised, $2.13 million will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) to fund breast cancer research, and $1.37 million goes to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) to fund ovarian cancer research, in accordance with participant selections.
“This $3.5 million donation reflects the strength of a community that chooses to turn one of the most emotional days of the year into something powerful and full of purpose,” said Zara Lawless, CEO of the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation.
“Over the last 28 years, the Mother’s Day Classic has created a community of support where people can honour, reflect and take meaningful action. With $2.13 million going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation and $1.37 million to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, this collective effort will help to drive more life-saving research.
“At its core, the Mother’s Day Classic is about community, connection and impact. Research is a legacy we can all be part of, and this achievement shows just how much can be done when we walk together.”
Since being founded by Women in Super in 1998, the Mother’s Day Classic has welcomed over 1.8 million participants, generating the grand fundraising total of $50.8 million.
MDC contributions have financed 91 research grants over the past 28 years. 89 of those have been directed to breast cancer along side the first ever two ovarian cancer research projects announced earlier this year from the proceeds of the 2024 MDC, and in the coming months new breast and ovarian cancer research projects will be announced.
The impact has been profound, helping to increase the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer patients from 84 per cent to 92 per cent.
“When we began in 1998, just 3,000 people came together and raised $50,000. Today, we’ve transformed that humble start into an extraordinary legacy — from $50K to $50 million — proving the power and difference people can make with a shared vision for change.”
In 2024, the Mother’s Day Classic expanded its mission by introducing the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation as a second beneficiary, aiming to improve the five-year relative survival rate for ovarian cancer which currently stands at just 49 per cent.
“It’s hard to overstate what a donation of this magnitude means to the OCRF and the ovarian cancer community,” said Robin Penty, CEO of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
“Ovarian cancer research still lags woefully behind other diseases, at a heavy cost for women and the community. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation, this funding will support vital research that will take us ever closer to better detection, more effective treatments, and lives saved. On behalf of the scientists we support and the women and girls we serve, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Dr Cleola Anderiesz, CEO, National Breast Cancer Foundation, said: “We are deeply grateful to the Mother’s Day Classic community for their incredible generosity and continued support.
"The donation this year is not just a gift, it’s a powerful investment in life-saving breast cancer research. Together we are driving progress and moving closer to our vision of zero deaths from breast cancer.”
In 2026, there will be an exciting first for the Mother’s Day Classic, with the introduction of a Half Marathon for the Melbourne event starting and finishing at The Tan. This will offer participants a new challenge, giving them the chance to go further than ever before in support of breast and ovarian cancer research.
The 29th Mother’s Day Classic is scheduled for Sunday, May 10, Mother’s Day, once again inspiring and uniting communities nationwide to deliver extraordinary results for breast and ovarian cancer research.
