20th Hoosiers Outrun Cancer a Record-Setting Success

A record-setting 5,292 participants and 412 volunteers gathered for the 20^th running of Bloomington Health Foundation’s Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5k at IU Memorial Stadium on September 28th. The event raised $495,000, shattering the $250,000 fundraising goal.

Since its inception, the event has raised nearly $4M for cancer patients in the community with needs beyond clinical care including wigs, transportation vouchers, lymphedema sleeves, therapy, support groups, and more.

The event began in the year 2000, born from an idea that Dorothy Ellis and Karen Knight came up with during a hike in McCormick’s Creek. They approached local non-profit organization Bloomington Health Foundation (BHF) and together they hosted over 2,000 participants in their inaugural year.

“We never expected for 2,000 people to join us in the first year, much less to host over 5,000 people 20 years later. We simply wanted to help those in our community coping with a cancer diagnosis. I am so grateful to our community for being so giving and for continuing to support this cause two decades later,” said Ellis.

Many records were broken this year including sponsorship totals, number of teams, and overall number of participants. Bloomington Health Foundation President and CEO Jonathan Barada is thrilled by the success of the event.

“Hoosiers Outrun Cancer is more than a fundraising event. It’s a memorial. It’s a celebration. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s an outward and visible symbol to those whose lives have been touched by a cancer diagnosis that our community supports you and stands with you,” said Barada.