Sir Chris Hoy bid to help cancer sufferers with exercise plan
The Olympic cylcing legend who has a terminal diagnosis is seflessly trying to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer
Last updated 6th Sep 2025
Sir Chris Hoy is calling on men with prostate cancer to try to be more active to help with their quality of life.
The retired champion track cyclist and six time Olympic gold medallist was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2023.
A year later, he was told his condition was terminal and that he had between two and four years to live.
Sir Chris Hoy's vision is to bring together people affected by cancer to raise vital funds for cancer charities across the UK.
Advanced prostate cancer affects around 20,000 men in the UK every year.
Hormone therapy is currently the main treatment, which tends to mean a number of side effects, including weight gain due to an increase in fat, coupled with increased muscle loss.
Fatigue and psychological changes are also common, and long-term hormonal treatment may lead to bone thinning, heart disease and diabetes.
Regular exercise can alleviate these side effects, and the NHS has suggested men with the disease should be offered fitness programmes.
However, it is estimated around a third of men with advanced prostate cancer are completely inactive and only around one in eight meet guideline levels of activity.
Sir Chris has launched a fitness partnership with PureGym, The Institute of Cancer Research, and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, in a bid to get men living with the disease to become more active.
It's ahead of his Tour De 4 charity bike ride, which takes place at the velodrome named after him in Glasgow on Sunday.
A number of routes are available for participants, including a 92km option, a 60km option, and a 1km, family-friendly route.
The event aims to raise around £1 million, and so far more than £100,000 has been raised.
Sir Chris said: "This is a groundbreaking partnership and initiative which demonstrates the power of the Tour De 4, what it can achieve, and the legacy it will leave.
"Scientific studies have shown that structured exercise is the perfect complement to many cancer treatments, but we need to break down the barriers that often prevent patients getting consistent and regular physical activity to experience these benefits.
Importance of exercise
"Exercise has been a fundamental part of my life and never more so than since my diagnosis of prostate cancer. I find it hugely encouraging that the importance of exercise for prostate cancer is being recognised. This is a significant step forward and potentially transformative.
"I have a long-standing association with PureGym which, more than any fitness organisation in the UK, has the scale, reach and capability to make a demonstrable national impact. I look forward to seeing the results of this initiative in the coming months and years."
Professor Nick James, professor of prostate and bladder cancer research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: "A diagnosis of advanced cancer is devastating.
"I frequently hear patients being advised by their families that they must take it easy and not overexert themselves whereas in most cases, this advice, while well-meaning, is not usually true. In fact, the opposite is true.
"There is growing evidence that exercise, as well as improving general well-being, might also directly improve cancer outcomes."