Join the fight against cancer at the 9th annual UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge
Participants can ride, run or walk to support groundbreaking cancer research
Orange, Calif. — The UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge is gearing up for its ninth annual event, rallying thousands to ride, run and walk on this special fall day dedicated to raising funds and awareness for cancer research.
Registration is now open for the 2025 challenge — to be held Saturday, Oct. 11, at UC Irvine's Aldrich Park. Participants can choose from a 5K run/walk, various road bike routes and our third annual a mountain bike course. The day-long event will include a wellness festival, food, awards and musical entertainment for friends and family to enjoy.
Every participant-raised dollar helps fund cancer pilot projects and early-phase clinical trials. The event's popularity has continued to grow every year, with the 2024 event setting records of 4,100 participants and $1.5 million raised.
Since its inception in 2017, the Anti-Cancer Challenge has raised more than $6.2 million for research by the scientists and clinicians with the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Their innovative research efforts have garnered an additional $44.7 million in external funding to advance discoveries with the potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis, treatment and care.
The UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge's engagement with the community extends far beyond a single day. Throughout the year, the public is invited to attend a series of free lead-up events to learn more about the research their support has made possible.
These include:
- June 5 — Kickoff and grant awards announcement: Dr. Richard Van Etten, director of the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and founder of the Anti-Cancer Challenge, will unveil new projects funded by last year's challenge. This inaugural event promises to showcase the tangible impact of the community’s support in the fight against cancer.
- Aug. 14 — Research reception and lab tours: Attendees will join exclusive lab tours and meet the scientists and clinicians driving the Anti-Cancer Challenge-funded cancer research projects.
- Training rallies: In July and September, we will host morning training sessions to help attendees prepare for race day in October as well as connect with other participants and help build excitement for the main event. These training rides, runs and walks will start at the UC Irvine campus.
These lead-up events offer community members unique opportunities to connect with researchers and learn firsthand how their work translates into real progress in cancer treatments, cures and prevention.
For event information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Anti-Cancer Challenge Associate Director Amber Lasher at anti-cancerchallenge@uci.edu ›
You can also download Anti-Cancer Challenge apps for iOS systems and Android phones.
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The UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated U.S. comprehensive cancer centers and the only one based in Orange County, the sixth most populous county in the nation. A research powerhouse, the cancer center brings together basic and translational scientists with clinician investigators to drive discoveries through the pipeline into the clinical arena. The center treats more patients with cancer — and more complex cases — than any other healthcare provider in the region, with more than 80,000 outpatient visits and 65,000 infusion treatments annually at practice sites in Orange, Irvine, Yorba Linda, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Laguna Hills. The center also offers more than 500 clinical trials, including the region’s largest portfolio of early-phase and investigator-initiated trials. It has the only adult bone marrow transplant program in Orange County, performing more than 100 transplants a year and enabling critically ill patients to receive life-saving care close to home. It is also one of the few U.S. programs to provide transplants for debilitating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. With the opening of its second clinical hub in Irvine in July 2024, the cancer center has tripled its space to treat cancer patients and conduct novel studies aimed at bringing an end to cancer. Learn more ›
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