Racing for a Reason: Tuscaloosa's back-to-back benefit 5Ks
Dual 5Ks raise tens of thousands for breast cancer research in the sweltering Alabama sun.
Two back-to-back 5K races took place in Tuscaloosa this past weekend. The Bama Runs for Breast Cancer 5K race occurred on Oct. 2 and the Oktoberfest 5K occurred on Oct. 3.
Running five kilometers in the Alabama heat might not seem like a typical way to strengthen a community, but Tuscaloosa residents decided to do just that to show their support for people impacted by cancer.
From 2019-2023, Tuscaloosa County saw 378 cancer diagnoses per 100,000 individuals. Nationwide, an average of 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. So what did residents decide to do to show their support? They ran.
The Bama Runs for Breast cancer 5K had a goal of raising money and awareness for breast cancer. This 5K reportedly raised over $50,000. The Oktoberfest 5K served as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. It had 711 runners register and complete the race, each of whom contributed to the fundraising goal.
Beyond raising money, the races served another purpose — gathering support from the community. Runners, volunteers and organizers all shared that they were drawn to the races because of the important causes they supported.
“A friend of ours asked that we join, and I was like, you know what, why not? My grandmother had breast cancer,” said Daniel Wittie, a runner in the Bama Runs for Breast Cancer 5K.
Wittie’s story serves as an example of what these races were able to accomplish. Members of the community were able to show support for loved ones that were directly affected by cancer.
Even some who did not share a personal connection to someone affected by cancer were brought in by friends or family, demonstrating a way that the back-to-back 5Ks encouraged a feeling of community in the Tuscaloosa area. This was the case with Ben Gilkerson, who ran the Oktoberfest 5K.
“My girlfriend, she also decided to sign up for it, so I followed with her,” Gilkerson said, before running his first ever 5K.
Tanya Cabiness, a manager in global customer service parts for Mercedez-Benz and a creator of the Oktoberfest 5K, had a lot to share about the community-driven intentions behind the race. Her take on the 5K ties together all aspects of community and support for the cause.
“I felt led to take on more of a leadership role in our outreach within our plant, outreach within our community, and connection with American Cancer Society,” Cabiness said.
