Will your team be the one to lift 2026’s Pancake Race trophy?
About signing up
The entry fee is £150 per team of four and all funds raised will support Launchpad’s vital services for people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home.
We’ll need your teammates’ names and your workplace name and address.
Our fundraising team will confirm your entry and arrange payment of the registration fee.
Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fancy Dress
Whether you arrive as dinosaurs, chickens, fast food or astronauts (almost) anything goes at Launchpad’s Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday (17 Feb)! We’ve seen clowns, bananas, the Spice Girls, crows, barristers and morph suits… and everything in between. So go wild!
What Happens on the Day?
Team registration: 11.15–11.45am at Broad Street Mall (ground floor)
Parade to the start line: 12.15pm
First race: 12.30pm
Prize giving: Approx. 1.30pm
Teams will compete in a series of relay races, with knock-out rounds leading to the grand finale. Pancakes must be flipped as you race, poor flipping may lead to disqualification!
Fundraising
We’d love your support in raising funds for Launchpad. Check if your company offers match funding, every bit helps us make a difference.
Once you’ve signed up, our fundraising team will help you set up a JustGiving page so friends, family and colleagues can cheer you on (and donate!).
Prizes
The winning team will take home:
The coveted frying pan trophy | An extra special prize | And the adoration of Reading!
We also award prizes for:
Second and third place | Best team spirit | Best fancy dress | Top fundraising team
Stay tuned for prize details!
Not Racing? Come and Watch!
If you’re not competing but fancy spending your lunch break watching local businesses battle it out in fancy dress, join us on Broad Street!
We’ll be near the Broad Street Mall end of the high street. First race starts at 12.30pm.
Don’t forget to bring cash or a bank card, we’ll be collecting donations via buckets and contactless machines.
Want to Volunteer?
We’d love your help with:
Team registration | Bucket collecting | Pancake flip monitoring!
To get involved, please email fundraising@launchpadreading.org.uk