Vanderbilt will add a new race event, the 2013 Nashville Undy 5000, to the list of affiliated events for the upcoming fall season.
The Undy 5000 is a 5K and 1-mile fun run dedicated to raising awareness and funds for colon cancer.
The race/walk will be held Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Walk of Fame Park next to the Downtown Hilton hotel, 121 Fourth Ave. S.
Participants are encouraged to wear their most outrageous underwear for the family-friendly event — this brings a fun twist to the race while raising awareness about a very serious topic.
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center is sponsoring the event, which is hosted by the Colon Cancer Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to colon cancer research, prevention efforts and patient support. This is the second year that the event has been held in Nashville.
“I am very excited about this event. As a colon and rectal surgeon, I treat patients with this cancer on a daily basis,” said Roberta Muldoon, M.D., assistant professor of Surgery. “It is so important to get the message out that this disease is preventable and if caught early is curable. The key is in appropriate screening.”
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 142,000 people will be diagnosed with the illness this year and approximately 50,830 patients will die from this form of cancer.
Screening tests, including fecal occult blood tests, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, are the best methods to prevent the disease or catch it in early stages when it is most likely to be cured. Advancing age, a family history of colorectal cancer, alcohol use, cigarette smoking and obesity are all risk factors for the disease.
Undy 5000 participants can join Team Vanderbilt by clicking on www.teamvanderbilt.com. Those who sign up will receive a Team Vanderbilt T-shirt — the same T-shirt design that will be used for all of the fall race/walk events that are affiliated with Vanderbilt.
During the Aug. 17 event, participants can sign in beginning at 7:30 a.m. The 5K kick-off is slated for 8:30 a.m., and the 1-mile fun run follows at 8:40 a.m. The awards ceremony, which includes a special survivors’ event, is scheduled for 9:35 a.m.
If you have any questions about the Undy 5000 or other events, email Jennifer.rice@-vanderbilt.edu.
