MIAMI – The fight against breast cancer in Miami-Dade County kicked off Saturday morning as more than 2,500 runners participated in the third annual Miami International Airport Runway 5K Series.
Aviation officials cleared the north runway for the runners in an effort to raise money for cancer research and raise awareness of the second leading cause of cancer death among US women.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and millions of people, including cancer survivors, raised money to benefit the American Cancer Society, and to encourage women to get annual mammograms for early detection and diagnosis of the disease.
The MIA Runway 5K Series raised over $50,000, part of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign.
The inaugural MIA race was in October 2020, and the first Runway 5K at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport was in March 2022.
Over the past 24 years, Miami-Dade County, in partnership with the American Cancer Society, has raised over $3 million for breast cancer research.
But instead of jumbo jets and planes, it was the participants who were taking over the tarmac, not just to run, but also to help raise money for the American Cancer Society, and specifically for breast cancer research.
Saturday’s event was the third and final event in a series of airport 5K in Miami Dade, with the other two taking place other airports earlier this year.
The event happened under tight security at MIA, with several armed guards keeping watch on the crowd, making sure no one gets lost or gets off course.
Event organizers told Local 10 News that more than $50,000 was raised Saturday morning for the American cancer society, and they’re hoping raise even more money again next year.