Support for Cancer Research to Persist Against the Backdrop of Covid-19

Run For Hope is returning for its 28th iteration as a virtual event to provide the safest possible experience for participants. The run will take place over 28 days — from 29th November to 26 December — to commemorate its 28th year.

Organised by Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Run For Hope is a non-competitive event which aims to raise awareness and support for critical, life-saving cancer research at the NCCS.

This year, there are new distance categories — 2.8km, 10km, and the 28km to mark Run For Hope's 28th iteration. The participants can complete their chosen distance at any time or place, at their own convenience. Being virtual also means that participants can track their run via a GPS-enabled app and submit their results via their profile page which will be created upon registration on www.runforhope.sg.

The fight against cancer continues

The headlines may have been dominated by the global Covid-19 pandemic but a look at the latest statistics from the Singapore Cancer Registry (SCR) published in March 2021 shows that cancer is still the leading cause of death in Singapore, and that there is still a pressing need for cancer research to battle this deadly enemy.

In the 2014 to 2018 period covered by the latest SCR, cancer claimed the lives of more than 28,000 Singaporeans, and a total of 74,536 cancer cases were reported in Singapore (1).

Professor William Hwang, Medical Director of the National Cancer Centre Singapore says, “It has been inspiring to see the speed with which scientists worked together on Covid-19 to successfully develop vaccines and educate the public about prevention measures. At the NCCS, we are inspired to accelerate our cancer research to fight the cancer pandemic in order to find better treatments and give patients hope and a better quality of life. We are heartened that 3,500 participants signed up for the virtual run last year during the pandemic and hope to have even more community support and participation this year.”

This much-anticipated iteration of Run For Hope will also be supported by Class 95FM, celebrities and social media influencers such as Team Strong Silvers, and joined by cancer survivor, Azhany Mohamed who battled and beat Hodgkin Lymphoma at only 21 years of age.

Mr Peter C. Draminsky, Regional Vice President & General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Singapore says, “The research projects spearheaded by NCCS are crucial in bringing hope to all who live with the shadow of cancer in their lives. With continuous support from our community of sponsors and supporters, Run For Hope continues to raise awareness on the importance of cancer research and provides support to an array of life-saving cancer research programmes at the NCCS.”

Singapore’s largest running event for cancer research and awareness, Run For Hope has been supporting the NCCS since 2008, contributing towards clinical and translational research into treatment and palliative care, early disease detection and recurrence prevention. Run For Hope has also raised awareness on some of the rarer types of cancers and brought to light the various challenges people with cancer, and their families, face every day.

Signing Up for the Run

Participants who complete their run will receive a race pack comprising a limited edition 28th RFH finisher t-shirt and a pair of sports running socks.

Prizes will also be given to:

1. Top 5 Participants (those who have registered and completed the 28km category)
2. Top 5 Individual Fundraisers for Cancer Research
3. Top 5 Team Fundraisers for Cancer Research

For more information on how to register for Run For Hope 2021, as well as to track and submit your results, please visit www.runforhope.sg. For any technical race enquiries, please email: [email protected].

References:

(1) Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report 2018, https://www.nrdo.gov.sg/publications/cancer