Sign up to Launchpad's annual Pancake Race in Reading town centre

14th January 2025

Can your team take the Pancake Race title?

Launchpad’s amazing annual egg-stravaganza will be entertaining Reading residents for a 27^th year on Shrove Tuesday - the 4 March.

As well the adoration of the people of Reading for the winning team, they will walk away with Launchpad’s coveted frying pan trophy. Alongside the top prize, there are also prizes for second and third place teams, best team spirit, best fancy dress, and best fundraising team.

A man and a woman racing with frying pans, part of Reading Pancake race on Broad Street

Whether you’re a Pancake Race veteran or are hearing about Launchpad’s race for the first time – now is the time to rally your team and sign up. To take part, you’ll need a team of four, an amazing fancy dress outfit and £150 to pay for the entry fee.

All the money raised from this event will fund Launchpad’s essential work with people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home in Reading.

Launchpad has seen an Increase of 22% in demand for its services year on year with over 1,800 people helped last year.

Each Pancake Race team will be playing a vital role in helping us meet this increase in demand.

2024’s winners – a team from RSM UK Ltd beat 34 teams in their animal onesies to claim champion team bragging rights. Will they make it two years in a row?

We can’t wait to see what this year’s winners will be wearing! Every year the outfits get better and better. Over the last 26 years we’ve had clowns, bananas, dinosaurs, chickens, fast food, and astronauts and many others all scramble for first place.

Fiona Keyte, Launchpad’s fundraising manager, said:
“Get ready Reading – you will not want to miss this cracking event! Whether you are racing or spectating, it really is a sight to behold! Don’t miss the amazing, costumed teams race as hard as they can in our town centre. And whilst it may seem like a bit of fun, the teams that have taken part for nearly three decades have raised many thousands of pounds for Launchpad.

“We’re very much a local charity working in close partnership with the Reading community, and the ongoing support we receive from local businesses is hugely appreciated. With that in mind I’d like to say thank you to The Roseate Reading,

Novotel, Crumbs Food Co, Revolucion de Cuba and Vino Vita for donating prizes.

“Pancake Race is a wonderful way for people to get involved and join in with this incredible sense of community spirit. Wherever you work in Reading, you can secure your spot and batter it out with other local businesses.”

To sign up visit: launchpadreading.enthuse.com/cf/pcr25

Race registration is £150. There are 36 places up for grabs for teams of four. Places are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Launchpad are also asking for volunteers to help – with team registration, bucket collections and monitoring participating team's pancake flips! If you would like to get involved, please email fundraising@launchpadreading.org.uk for details.