Race for the Cure
Race for the Cure is a special kind of race, which this year has reached its 12th edition
Ana-Maria Cononovici, 02.06.2026, 14:05
Romania ranks first in Europe in terms of deaths caused by cancer. Although mortality is also decreasing in this country and more and more actions promote prevention and support clinics, including mobile equipment, that offer screening programs, the need still exists.
The 12th edition of the charity race, Race for the Cure Romania was prepared with great enthusiasm on the last but one weekend of May. The funds raised with the help of the race are directed towards programs that provide free medical examinations to vulnerable women (oncology patients and women from rural areas) and natural hair wigs to patients or children diagnosed with cancer.
Staged by the “Renaşterea” Foundation, which this year celebrated 25 years of good deeds, the race brings together many public figures who regularly participate in this event or related ones, to support this cause. The President of the Renaşterea Foundation, MihaelaGeoană, launched an invitation to support the event, but especially the prevention.
Mihaela Geoana:“It is the anniversary year for the Renaşterea Foundation, it is the 25th year of activity and what this race is, which is the largest at European level, we hope to bring it to comparable numbers with other countries. And we would be happy to have as many of us as possible on May 23, in the Kiseleff Crossing, in the morning at 09:00, because in addition to the fact that they will spend a very pleasant morning with family, with friends, we will celebrate and demonstrate that this disease can be defeated. There will be over 200 women who have defeated this disease.We show that if we detect it in time, we can treat it and we can live with our families for many, many years. On the other hand, we want to teach young people – there are a lot of young people, we have teams from schools, high schools, who participate – that prevention is very important. Keeping our health is the most important thing and not just waiting for there to be a problem, for us to feel bad, to go to the doctor. We must learn to prevent. Let’s live a healthy life, on the one hand, and then get our tests done on time, because even a serious problem detected on time can be treated successfully.”
Angela, a 58-year-old woman from Bucharest, is one of the survivors. She is participating in the Race for the cure, gathering a group of supporters:
Angela: “With this event, we can raise awareness for as many women as possible that prevention is important, that they should get tested in time, get mammograms and ultrasounds, and thus avoid a tragic outcome. This is the third year I’ve participated in the ‘Race for the cure’, a race where people come to run alongside us, to support the cause so we can help as many people as possible. Our appeal to all women is that prevention is very important, and that is why every year we run and bring as many people as possible with us. The moment I announced I would participate in this marathon, a lot of people joined me – my family, neighbors and friends, and that means humanity still exists”.
And since the Renaissance Foundation has been raising awareness about the importance of early detection for breast and cervical cancer for 25 years, MihaelaGeoană, the foundation’s president, provided further details regarding the programs currently underway:
Mihaela Geoana: “We offer free medical tests to women in rural areas through two mobile units, one that does Pap smears and one that does digital mammograms, using the most modern mammography equipment available in Romania. We have one at the medical center in Bucharest and one in a mobile unit, which was purchased just two years ago, traveling across the country to perform mammograms. At the race, the participation fee of every participant who chooses to walk or run is used to provide these tests. We fund the mobile units with the money raised from this race. The mobile unit travels to rural areas, where we run a short communication campaign, informing women in that region that they can sign up to get a mammogram or a Pap smear. The medical staff on board the mobile unit perform the tests, and then we send out the results. For people who have issues or need to continue with either an investigation or a treatment, we include suggestions on where they can go to receive these treatments”.
Why does this initiative focus on rural areas in particular? Mihaela Geoană:
Mihaela Geoana: “As we know, many hospitals have been closed, and women in rural areas have the hardest time accessing modern equipment in particular. There is a geographical barrier: they have to travel to a city, possibly a county capital. And then, there is a financial barrier, as we know these services are difficult to obtain for free. State-funded free testing has limited funds, so this is where we step in to fill the gaps where the need is greatest”.
Even though the mortality rate in Romania has only decreased by 7%, this drop is a reason for optimism, as is the growing number of participants in the “Race for the Cure”. (bill&VP)
