Nearly 3,000 runners, thousands of kilometres and one shared goal: raising funds for cancer research. During the 51st edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon last Sunday, runners took part in ‘Run Against Cancer’, the annual fundraising initiative organised by the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) and Amsterdam UMC – Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA). Together, they raised a record-breaking €1,645,957. Among the participants were several Amsterdam UMC colleagues, including a team of CCA researchers.
‘Run Against Cancer’ has become an annual tradition at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon. The funds raised support international cancer research at CCA through KWF. International collaboration allows researchers to combine their knowledge, expertise and resources. This is particularly important for rare cancers, where patient numbers in individual countries are often too small to conduct large-scale studies.
Amsterdam UMC colleagues take on the challenge
Once again, many Amsterdam UMC colleagues took part in this year's marathon. Among them was Ron van Schooten, Senior Genome Analysis Technician, who ran alongside fellow CCA researchers.
“Our team consisted of 36 CCA runners, all researchers working on cancer research at RDC Adore. We had our own team shirts, made possible by the CCA Foundation, which was a great way to recognise each other along the route. I spotted several colleagues during the race. On 1 January, our Genome Analysis department lost a much-valued colleague to cancer at a very young age. This had a profound impact on our team and gave us an even stronger motivation to take part.”
A meaningful way to give something back
One particularly special member of Team CCA was former Dutch international footballer Michael Mols. Having experienced the importance of cancer research firsthand, his participation was especially meaningful.
“A few years ago, I was treated for a brain tumor at Amsterdam UMC, with a positive outcome. That experience made me realise more than ever how important cancer research is. That's why I wanted to run for Team CCA. It felt special to be able to give something back in this way.”
The fundraising cheque was presented to Geert Kazemier, surgical oncologist and Chair of Amsterdam UMC – Cancer Center Amsterdam. Special thanks go to sponsor Action, which raised an impressive €330,000 together with its partners and suppliers.
A big thank you to all the runners, supporters and donors who made this year's event such a success. And of course, to our Amsterdam UMC colleagues, whose efforts went beyond the finish line to help advance cancer research!