Race for the Cure

An early Saturday morning run usually takes a little outside motivation. And by a "little" we mean approximately 20,000 people cheering you on.

Thankfully, Charlotte has the perfect Saturday morning opportunity to get you off your couch for a cause (and a crowd). The gun will go off for the 14th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on October 2nd, and this year’s event is aiming to draw in more participants and funds than ever before. Last year, the Charlotte race, just one of 120 nationwide events, raised over $1 million for local breast cancer education, screening, and treatment programs; a large chunk was also given to national research grants.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a national organization dedicated to raising awareness and support for breast cancer research, education, prevention, and treatment. There are 122 city affiliates, and Charlotte’s, founded by Penelope Wilson, was officially established in 1999, though the first local Race for the Cure was organized by Wilson and others in 1997. The Race for the Cure raises close to 50% of the organization’s total funds for the year.

This year, our Komen affiliate wants to raise $200,000 more than last year, and register 500 more people. You can register online or as a team until September 28th, and head uptown to Founder’s Hall to register in person after that. To register for the untimed, recreational 5K costs $30, and $35 for the timed, competitive run. There’s also a 1 mile run, and a kid’s dash held after the first 5Ks.

This year’s event will have even more buzz than last year, since the starting line has been drawn in front of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, right next to the Mint Museum Uptown, which will be having its Grand Opening event that same day. Team prizes, given to teams that raise the most money and teams with the most participants, will be handed out, and a survivor tribute ceremony honors local breast cancer survivors.

For that, we think we can set our alarms.