Fun run with a serious background

Coffee, cake and goody bags. Right now, a group of medical students from AU are working hard to make sure that their fellow students, as well as anyone else who wants to put on their running shoes and enjoy a very pleasant Saturday run around the autumnal University Park in Aarhus, can have a great time.

But the background for the run is deadly serious, as the purpose of the run is to raise money for cancer research. Participation in the run costs DKK 60, and all money will go to the nationwide Beat Cancer campaign, which takes place during the final week of October and is organised by the TV station TV2 and the Danish Cancer Society.

"Everyone has been close to cancer in one way or another. It’s a terrible illness, and there’s a need for more money for research in the area. We want to help raise that money," says Laura Krogh Jørgensen. She is taking her eleventh semester at medicine and is chair of The Oncology Society for Medical Students at AU, which is the association responsible for organising the run.

The association comprises medical students who have an academically-related interest in the field of cancer. They organise lectures on the latest advances in cancer research, and also visit primary and lower secondary schools to talk about cancer. And for the second year in a row, they are also behind the Beat Cancer Run in the University Park.

Would like to be an oncologist

Laura Krogh Jørgensen would like to qualify as an oncologist and spent her eighth semester in clinical practice (an internship during the degree programme in medicine, ed.) in a cancer ward.

"To work within an area where I feel like I can make a difference gives me so much energy. I could use that to help both the patients who can be cured, and those who can’t be, so we can ensure that they have the best time possible at the end," she says.

With her special interest, she has also been inspired by the developments currently taking place in cancer research.

"Major progress is being made in cancer research at the moment, among other things within immunotherapy (a form of treatment where the body's own immune system is utilised to fight cancer cells, ed.), which are very exciting to follow."

Needs to be attractive for students 

Laura and her fellow organisers are trying to create a good and attractive option for students who want to support the campaign.

"As a student, your finances are limited, of course. That’s why it only costs DKK 60, so students can still take part,” explains Laura.

To underline that the afternoon is also meant to be fun, she says that it’s okay to walk around the route, and neither is there a prize for the first to cross the finishing line.

"We aren’t able to close off roads or time everyone, so it doesn’t make sense to have an official winner," she explains.

Goody bags for runners 

However, Laura and the other organisers have still made an effort to provide a carrot for all participants – in addition to doing a good deed, fresh air and exercise.

"There are goody bags to all runners. We will also have a tombola with a lot of sponsored prizes. Plus, people can also support the campaign via MobilePay," she says.

Last year, 600 runners took part in the run and raised DKK 43,000 in total. This year, the organisers hope to see even more runners in the University Park, so that even more money can be raised to fight cancer.

"We hope to see 650 participants this year, and so far, 300 (per 25 October, ed.) have bought an entry ticket. That’s pretty much the same as last year, where people waited until the last moment to buy a ticket,” she says.  

Translated by Peter Lambourne