Dubai: "Ran for cancer in my family," said the message written on a large white board at Al Mamzar Park yesterday. It was signed Alix M.
It was one of the hundreds of messages scribbled on the board set up by organisers of Dubai's Terry Fox Run.
Since it started in 1993, Dubai's ‘Marathon of Hope' has helped raised nearly Dh8 million for cancer research at Al Ain University. Cancer is the third leading cause of death in the UAE after heart disease and traffic accidents.
A study has shown there has been an alarming increase in cancer cases in the UAE in the past 30 years. Emirati women are stricken by breast cancer a decade earlier than their Western counterparts.
Friday's Run on the picturesque route on Alexandria Street attracted 8,000 people of various ages and nationalities and helped raise Dh500,000 for cancer research, said Dave Barrette, chairman of Terry Fox Run. "Every fil raised will go for cancer research in the UAE," he said.
"This is awesome," said the voice on the speaker as people waited at the starting line. Many had given up their beauty sleep on the weekend for the fun run and a good cause.
People cheered, there was a beating of drums, the blowing of "kombu", an Indian wind instrument, as people ran, walked, skateboarded and children were pushed in their prams.
The temperature was a pleasant 27 degrees Celsius at 9.30am, but it slowly started getting muggy.
For Italian marathon runner Christian Skulte who flew into Dubai for an exhibition and the Run, the weather was gruelling. He said he will also be taking part in the New York Marathon in October.
Varsha, an Indian expatriate, said she never misses taking part in the Run. Her 17-year-old nephew had died of cancer as he was studying for his 10th grade exams, she said. He had been undergoing chemotherapy.
Shabana, an Indian expatriate was walking with 10 of her colleagues from Microsoft. "Some of the family members of our team are suffering from cancer," she said. "This is for Anton," was the message on Helen Thamasian's T-shirt. Her 17-year-old son had died, not from cancer, but after inhaling butane gas.
The Terry Fox Run is the largest single-day fund-raiser for cancer research in the world, in honour of Terry Fox, a young Canadian cancer patient and activist.
With one leg amputated, Fox became a hero, running for 143 days, completing 5,373km before he died in 1981. The Terry Fox Foundation was established that year to continue his legacy by hosting a Run at the same time every year.
