CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Join the movement to end colorectal cancer at the inaugural St. George Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 23. Presented by the St. George Endoscopy Center and Utah Gastroenterology in partnership with the Colon Cancer Coalition, the event aims to raise funds while promoting potentially lifesaving screening tools.
Get Your Rear in Gear is the largest run/walk series dedicated to increasing awareness about colorectal cancer, currently the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths nationwide. The St. George event will be the first of its kind organized in Southern Utah.
“Funds raised at this event stay local,” said Kimberly Pratt, director of nursing at the St. George Endoscopy Center. “Our goal is to raise awareness, increase screening rates, support those who are affected by it and ultimately save lives.”
The race starts at the St. George Endoscopy Center, located at 368 E. Riverside Drive, and will make a loop along the scenic Virgin River Trail.
Registration costs $40 for adults and $25 for youth (age 18 and under), while the fun run for kids age 10 and under costs $20. If you can’t attend but still want to support the cause, sign up as a virtual participant for $25.
All colorectal cancer patients and survivors can register for free. Online registration will close at midnight Tuesday, March 19, so don’t wait to sign up.
Participants can also pre-order and customize a sign for a loved one that will be placed along the race course. This part of the event, known as the “Blue Mile,” celebrates, honors and remembers the millions of lives affected by colon cancer.
Last-minute registration and packet pickup starts at 7 a.m. on race day. After the opening ceremony and team fundraising awards at 8:30 a.m., the kids’ fun run will kick off at 8:50 a.m. The 5K, which you can choose to complete as a timed run or an untimed walk, starts at 9 a.m. and will be followed by the presentation of finisher medals.
“As the nursing director for an endoscopy center, I have personally known so many who have suffered and been affected by colorectal cancer,” Pratt said. “As an avid runner, what better way to reach the St. George community than by organizing a 5K on the beautiful Virgin River Trail?”
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 106,590 cases of colon cancer and 46,220 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2024, and a total of 53,010 people will die from these cancers. Approximately 1 in every 20 Americans will receive a colorectal cancer diagnosis during their lifetime.
Screening and early detection are key to saving lives. More than 90% of early-stage colorectal cancer patients are still alive five years after initially being diagnosed.
However, less than half of colorectal cancers are found early and more than one-third of Americans age 50 and over aren’t up to date on their screenings. Early-stage colorectal cancer typically doesn’t cause symptoms, which is why medical professionals now recommend screenings starting at the age of 45. Screening tools include colonoscopies and stool DNA tests like Cologuard.
“Even though those types of things can be uncomfortable, colon cancer is by far worse,” said Dr. Brien R. Miller, gastroenterologist at the St. George Endoscopy Center. “And it’s very preventable. It’s one of the most preventable cancers out there because of screening efforts.”
The fundraising goal for the St. George race is $15,000. All proceeds will stay in Southern Utah to help remove barriers to screening for underinsured and uninsured people, educate the public about early detection and screening, reduce financial burdens for patients, and fund research to help fight and end colorectal cancer.
Are you ready to Get Your Rear in Gear? Click here to learn more about colorectal cancer and sign up to support the cause.
Event details
- What: Get Your Rear in Gear St. George 5K Run/Walk.
- When: Saturday, March 23, starting at 7 a.m.
- Where: St. George Endoscopy Center, 368 E. Riverside Drive, St. George.
- Tickets: Adult, $40; youth, $25; kids’ fun run, $20; virtual participant, $25.
- Resources: Website.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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