STELLALANDER-VRYBURG: It’s an event known by its distinctive purple speedos and bold mission to raise awareness about male cancers.
The annual Hollard Daredevil Run will once again be bringing vital awareness back to hoods and companies across the country when it takes place this year on Friday, 1 November.
What started fifteen years ago with a few brave souls running through peak hour traffic in speedos to raise awareness about cancer, has become a nationwide phenomenon that brings attention to prostate and testicular cancers. Since 2021, the Hollard Daredevil Run has featured a main event at Zoo Lake in Johannesburg, along with smaller runs in neighbourhoods nationwide, with last year’s collective event being the biggest to date. A total of R 700 000 that was raised in 2023, was presented to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa, which will be used to fund testing in under-resourced areas and increase awareness, support and research. According to Joani Sadie, Corporate Relationship Manager at CANSA, previous funding from the Hollard Daredevil Run enabled CANSA to conduct over 2 000 Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood tests between January 2022 and March 2023. “Every year, the run has a positive impact nationally, enabling a culture that urges men to talk more openly about male cancers, the risks, the symptoms and the importance of early detection” adds Khanyi.” One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, with this cancer predicted to be the most common cancer amongst men in South Africa by 2030. Black African men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, with a 60% higher risk of developing the disease compared to other population groups. While not as common, testicular cancer remains the most prevalent cancer among young men aged 15 to 35, affecting approximately 1 in 250 males. In line with Hollard’s recent brand repositioning, the Hollard Daredevil Run aims promote early detection of prostate and testicular cancer - the unprotected can become protected, with the survival rate in men whose prostate cancer is detected early enough being 95%. Runners from Johannesburg can once again join thousands of other daredevils at the annual Zoo Lake event to run 5km at 3pm on Friday 1 November, while participants elsewhere can register to run on their own or in groups anywhere in the country. Last year saw teams of men running cancer outta small towns and big cities throughout South Africa with one of the many highlights being a team of game rangers running through the Kruger National Park. Hollard calls on individuals, corporates, schools, tertiary educational institutions, sports clubs and communities to rally behind this worthy cause by entering this year’s event. Entry tickets for the 2024 Hollard Daredevil Run are now available from Ticketpro at a cost of R180, which includes the courier of a registration pack and a complimentary purple speedo. For more information, go to daredevilrun.com.
