Greetings, all! I hope this post finds you and your loved ones safe and well during this wild year+.
At the beginning of 2020, we anticipated we would be together as the 3rd Annual Running for Nana team in the Colfax Marathon Weekend to support Achieving Cures Together (ACT) and their fight against C. difficile. Of course, we all know how different 2020 was than anyone had expected.
Despite not being able to gather in person, you all still showed up in so many ways. We had our first Virtual Run for Nana, and heard from Dr. Alexander Khoruts, Peter Westerhaus, and Christie Lansdowne about the incredible work that ACT is doing to put an end to C. difficile. Many of you even completed a virtual run, walk, or handcycle for Nana! I know she was with us every step of the way last year, as always.
As many of you know, since 2016, we’ve partnered with ACT and Dr. Khoruts from the University of Minnesota’s Microbiota Therapeutics Program (MTP) – two of the leaders in C. difficile research. Including funds raised through the Virtual Run and through the end of 2020, we’ve now raised nearly $95,000 for the MTP and ACT since Running for Nana started. WOW. Thanks to the generosity of so many through philanthropic support:
- Over 800 patients with recurrent C. diff that could not be cured with standard antibiotics have been successfully treated (98% success rate) at the University of MN through the intestinal microbiota transplantation (IMT) procedure – all at no cost to the patient.
- The MTP developed capsules of the IMT treatment, making it more accessible to fight recurrent C. diff.
- The team has increased their ability to provide the capsules for critical clinical trials. All therapeutic microbiota is manufactured in accordance with pharmaceutical protocols.
- There are five active research trials utilizing the treatment including the MATCH Trial, which is a multi-center, placebo-controlled study at the VA. This is the largest study of its kind. The team continues to explore uses for the treatment beyond C. diff, and the other active trials are for patients with advanced liver disease, autism, ulcerative colitis, and intensive chemotherapy.
This progress would not have been possible without each of you, and I cannot thank you enough for being a part of these advancements!
So…that brings us to 2021!
I am thrilled to share that the Colfax Marathon Weekend will be held in person, October 15-17, 2021! And, I would love to invite you to join our 3rd Annual Running for Nana Team to support Achieving Cures Together and fight back against C. difficile! Our team is already 18 people strong and growing, and we would be delighted if you would be on our team.
And don’t worry – you don’t have to run a marathon! There are 5 races of varying lengths to choose from. An overview of each is below, and detailed information for all races can be found at: https://www.runcolfax.org/races/
| Race | Miles | The Good Stuff |
| 5K (Sunday 10/17) | 3.1 | Walk/run/handcycle, stroller, and dog friendly |
| Urban 10 Miler (Saturday 10/16) | 10 | Picks up on the last 10 miles of the marathon course through Empower Field, Confluence, and Downtown! |
| Marathon Relay (Saturday 10/16) | Varies | A 5-person relay, with distances ranging from 4 to 6.5 miles |
| Half Marathon (Saturday 10/16) | 13.1 | A new course in 2021! You still run through the Denver Zoo and a fire station, but the course this year will primarily take you west on Colfax instead of east. |
| Marathon (Saturday 10/16) | 26.2 | Runs through Empower Field at Mile High, around Sloan’s Lake, and through stunning west Denver |
To register, simply click this link and choose the race that works best for you! Once in the registration page, just click “Yes” to “Raising Funds or Awareness for a Charity” and then select Achieving Cures Together (ACT) from the drop-down menu that appears. Please let me know if you have trouble signing up for the team.
**Note: The prices for registration increase on Wednesday, June 30th at 11:59 pm. Now is the best time to register!
Now, all that said, I completely understand if running isn’t your thing. If you still want to “Run for Nana” and fight against C. diff, we will be raising funds again this year to directly support Achieving Cures Together and their fight against C. diff and other awful conditions. Please visit the link below if you would like to make a donation!
ACT Fundraising Page Link: https://www.achievingcures.com/colfaxmarathon.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be in touch soon and hope to see you in October!
Running for Nana 
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