METAvivor's 3rd annual: Cancer Can Suck a Cactus Fun Run

• Approximately 30% of early stage breast cancer survivors will have a recurrence as metastatic disease
• Metastases can occur as early as several months to 25+ years after treatment
• 685,000 people a year die from metastatic breast cancer globally
• Only 22% of U.S. MBC patients live longer than 5 years, and only 11% of live longer than 10 years
• There is NO CURE for MBC - let's change that together

• Exercise has been shown to reduce your chances of bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, adenocarcinoma esophageal, renal, and gastric cancers by 10% to 20%.
• If diagnosed with breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer - exercise can reduce cancer-specific and overall mortality rates by 40-50%
• Ideally, people should exercise 150 to 300 minutes weekly with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (or 75 to 150 weekly minutes of vigorous aerobic activity), along with twice-weekly progressive resistance exercise, including exercises for all major muscle groups.
• There is a robust evidence that exercise improves symptoms among people living with or beyond cancer treatment
• Exercise boosts the circulation of immune cells that attack cancer. It may even help powerful immunotherapy treatments that work better.
• Source & Learn more here

10k course

5k course

November 2, 2024 - RACE DAY!

Participant schedule

11:00-12:45 - Bib pick up at the Webhannet Golf Club - 26 Golf Club Dr, Kennebunk, ME 04043 - make sure you give yourself enough time to get your bib before the race so we can start on time! If you come early you can always go out for a nice coffee or snack in Lower Village/Dock Square between Kennebunk and Kennebunkport and then come back.

12:55 - Opening announcements

1:00 - Kids race (0.5k and 1k)

1:00 - Roads close

1:15 (after the kids race, this time will be +/-5 minutes) - Start of the 5k and 10k at the same time

1:30 - Post race celebration for participants starts

3:15 (or when last participant finishes, whichever is earlier) - Roads open

• cars will be able to leave the main parking area as necessary at the golf course after the start of the race, please follow volunteer instructions and drive VERY slowly

4:00 - Post race celebration end

Volunteer schedule - see parking location in parking map

10:30-12:45 - registration volunteers arrive and check in participants

12:15 - Pizza arrives from Roma Pizza for volunteers

1:00 - Route guides go to their positions & guide participants at intersections of the route. You will be notified when the last participant passes you so that you can return to the start/finish or head home

1:20 - 3:15 - Race medal volunteers hand out medals (and cacti) and direct participants to snacks & drinks

1:00 - 4:00 - Snack volunteers at their station to provide snacks & drinks to participants

• Run, walk, or move in a way of your choice on (or near) November 2nd with your race bib on!
• Do you want to track your participation? You're in luck! Feel free to track your participation in this incredibly short form HERE. It is not required, we will assume you participated without it but checking a box is fun :)
• Did your bib not get to you in time? That's ok, you can participate without it. Still want one? You can print this copy out and use it, see below.
• We love seeing pictures of you out and about, feel free to send pictures or short videos of your race to be included in the post race video to chemoday10k@gmail.com

Where will the proceeds be donated?

• Proceeds will be donated to METAvivor to fund stage 4 breast cancer research

What time is the race?

• Please see the race day schedule tab above

Will the roads be closed for the race?

• The roads will be closed to through traffic thanks to the support of the Kennebunk Police Department
• They will be closed from approximately 1:00-3:00 pm

Will the race be timed?

• The race will not be professionally timed this year so that we can funnel more money towards stage 4 breast cancer research.

Is there a max pace for this race?

• The roads will be closed from ~ 1:15pm - 3:15pm. This means you can run/walk a 38 minute mile pace for the 5k or a 19 minute 10k pace. Participants that need more time than that will be asked to move to the sidewalk to finish their race.

Are there prizes for the fastest finish times?

• Although the race is not timed, the top finishers of each race will receive a cactus sponsored by Snug Harbor Farm

Is the race distance certified?

• The race distance is not certified at this time so the events will be approximately 5k (3.1 miles) and 10k (6.2 miles). This is in the plans for next year :)

How far is the kids race?

• There will be a 0.5k (0.3 miles) and 1k (0.6 miles) option for the kids race

Will there be restrooms available

• There will be portable toilets available at the start/end of the race

Where do I park?

• See the parking tab below

Will there be snacks & drinks?

• At the finish line of the race there will be refreshments for participants. We will have water, Gatorade and Kit NA beer as well as various snacks - including Congdon's Doughnuts!

What is the cost of registration?

• $25 for the kids race, virtual kids race
• $35 for the 5k, virtual 5k, virtual 10k
• $40 for the 10k
• Note - The shirt deadline has passed (10/19). If you REALLY still want a shirt, please email chemoday10k@gmail.com and we can possibly get you a shirt.

What does the race swag look like?

• Pictures will be added here soon! The race shirt is in a section below.

Can I register on race day?

• You can register on race day from your phone until we sell out or 12:30pm on 11/2, whichever happens sooner. Registration spots are limited so we recommend you register at least one day before the race.

Do you get a little nervous when you don't know where to park? Me to! Here is a map to help you out.

Ever wanted to cheer on a racer but you had no idea where to park? Us too! Here is a map to help you out. Of course, please follow all posted signs and make sure you get to your cheer spot before the roads close down at ~1pm!

Challenge link, click here

If asked for a code use: MUEDLCZP

Not into downloading a new app on your phone? That's totally ok! Just email chemoday10k@gmail.com each Saturday by 10pm with your training time and we will track it manually for you.

How do I find my fundraising page? A few ways:

1) There is a fundraiser link on the thank you page right after you register

2) Click menu at the top right of your computer screen or the 3 parallel lines at the top of your phone screen, click fundraising, click share fundraising page

3) Click "donate to participant", search for yourself, click donate, it will take you to your fundraising page so you can share it

*Fundraising raffle will track peer to peer fundraising

Back by popular demand: this year we will again be having super soft Bella + Canvas unisex t-shirts! The design will be similar to the graphic below. Shirt sizing is listed in registration in inches.

The shirt deadline has passed (10/19). If you REALLY still want a shirt, please email chemoday10k@gmail.com and we can possibly get you a shirt.

This race was formerly known as the Chemo Day 10k Rainbow Soiree Run but that was a lot to remember so we have rebranded to the Cancer Can Suck a Cactus Run! How did this race start??

• September 1, 2021 - Race founder, Erinn, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer while breastfeeding her 10 month old daughter
• September to December 2021 - She received 6 rounds of chemo. Her oncologist recommended exercise to reduce her treatment related side effects so she walked and hiked around the local conservation land while carrying her daughter to keep her strong through treatment.
• January 2022 - She had a double mastectomy and hiked to stay sane as she wasn't allowed to lift anything for 6 weeks, including her kids.
• March 2022 - She started physical therapy, 14 rounds of additional chemo and hormone suppression. Its a slow journey back to feeling strong enough to hold her kids.
• May 2022 - Her physical therapist suggests she try distance running. She hates distance running, but starts slow with 30 seconds running + 3 minutes of walking. Physical therapists are magical, running improves her mental health as much as her physical health.
• June to August 2022 - Slowly, she can run a whole mile, often while pushing her son in a stroller at night after her daughter has gone to sleep. His little voice asks for one more lap around the neighborhood, he helps her grow stronger. He's her little coach.
• September 2022 - While running one day she thinks a 10k run (6.2 miles) to chemo would be cool. She can only run 2 miles at this point but she needs something to work for. Much to her surprise and delight, her oncologist agrees! She decides to make the run a small fundraiser for stage 4 breast cancer research. It motivates her to run for a reason when she is tired from chemo.
• November 2022 - People start asking if they can run with her, in person or virtually, to chemo. Why not? Lets get race bibs and snacks!
• December 2, 2022 - Race day! With a merry band of friends, family and nurses - she runs from her house to her last scheduled chemo infusion the next town over. Her lifelong friend pushes her son, her tiny coach, most of the way so she can start and end the race with him. The nurses, staff and oncologists all come out to celebrate at the finish. We raised over $16,500 for METAvivor with 19 in person participants and 40 virtual participants from 13 states and 2 countries. We toast with Kit NA beer and eat lots of hot pizza from Roma Pizza KPT - our first race sponsors.
• September 2023 - Her friends ask when the second race is... lets plan a race!
• October to November 2023 - Year 2 planning: we add stickers, balloons, shirts, mark the course, have a kid's race, create medals, have Kit NA beer sponsor tasty post race beverages again and have Nahcotta and Darn Tough sponsor prizes for fundraising and race training time!
• December 2, 2023 - Race day! We raised over $13,500 for METAvivor with 15 in person participants and 78 virtual participants from 19 states and 4 countries. We collectively track over 30 hours of exercise in preparation for the race. People ask if its happening next year...
• June - October 2024 - Year 3 planning: we add more stickers, race shirts, patches, contact the town to have the police direct traffic, host the start/finish line at Webhannet Golf Club, add more mileage along the ocean, bring back our lovely sponsors from last year, add Congdon's Doughnuts for participants and Roma's Pizza for volunteers, and rename the race so its easier to say.
• November 2, 2024 - RACE DAY. Come join us to grow this tiny race as we motivate each other to exercise and fundraise to tell cancer that it can go suck a cactus! Let's beat our fundraising goals as well as our number of participants, states, countries and race training time from last year!

Feel free to peruse the 2022 and 2023 race websites.