Help Sheffield's John Burkhill run his very first 'Man With The Pram Christmas Day Walk Sweepstake'
Sheffield’s ‘Man With The Pram’ is holding his very first charity sweepstake - but first, he needs your help!
The countdown to December 25 has begun, which also means it’s only a matter of weeks until one of the most important events in the Sheffield calendar.
That’s right - the annual John Burkhill Christmas Day Walk.
Each year, the Steel City’s legendary fundraiser embarks on and Christmastime expedition from the Chesterfield Royal Hospital to the Macmillan Palliative Care Unit at Northern General, which is nearly 16 miles on foot.
It’s just one of the Mad Walker’s stunning annual efforts in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, which to date has raised over £1.2m.
“Eyup!” wrote John in an update to his Facebook page today (December 1). “It’s now December, the pram is all lit up and festive which can only mean one thing ...the countdown to Christmas is on, and I can’t wait for my annual Christmas Day walk!”
But this year, John has announced something different to get Sheffield involved - it’s the first ever John Burkhill Christmas Day Walk Sweepstakes.
John wants you to put some money on how long it will take him to cross the finish line on the big day as a way for more people to get involved and raise more for charity.
But first he needs someone with the charity know-how to put sweepstakes together - and possibly have some suggestions what the prize could be!
If you think you’ve got what it takes, you have until December 8 to apply with Macmillan by emailing [email protected].
John writes: “This year, I thought it’d be a reyt good idea to get you all involved, so we’ve got a sweepstake where you can guess what time I’ll finish the walk!
“If you would like to take part and run the sweepstake, you can request the template from today until Monday, December 8, by emailing [email protected].”
It’s been 19 months since John achieved his “Magic Million” by running over 1,000 races, which at 85-years-old earned him the Pride of Britain Award, a dedication event at the Winer Gardens, and thunderous calls from his city to give him his knighthood.
Figures show that John has raised an average of £1,000 a week in 2025, and his total currently stands at over £1,205,000.
Heather Churchouse, communications officers at Macmillan, said in a statement: “John is truly one in a million. Every step he takes with his much-loved pram has made a real difference to people living with cancer and their families and it was a special moment sharing with John when he hit the £1.2 million milestone earlier this month.
“It was incredibly humbling to walk with John through Sheffield city centre a few weeks ago and witness firsthand the warmth and admiration he inspires. We are so grateful to John and to the amazing people of Sheffield who have supported him along the way, thank You! John you are a true Sheffield Legend!”