I hope your week is off to a fantastic start. We are just a little over a month away from the Colfax Marathon Weekend where we will Run for Nana and Achieving Cures Together (ACT) in the fight against C. difficile!
I would be so delighted if you would join our team (don’t worry, you don’t have to run!). If you register by midnight tonight, 4/12, you will lock in the lowest registration rates AND will help us get that much closer to a tent in Charity Village at the finish line!
And remember, you choose the race that suits you best: the 5K (3.1 miles), 10 mile, half marathon (13.1 miles), full marathon (26.2 miles), or marathon relay (5 person relay with distances ranging from 4 to 6.5 miles). Walkers, hand-cyclers, strollers, and dogs welcome in the 5K!
How do I join the team?: On the registration page, a question asks, “Are you considering raising funds or awareness for a charity?” select “Yes”. A drop down menu will pop up below entitled “Select Team” – just click the drop down and select Achieving Cures Together. If you have any issues with registration, please let me know! Also, the more the merrier, so please feel free to share this email with others in your circle that you think might like to join us!
Of course, if running isn’t your thing, no problem! If you would like to “Run for Nana” in a different way, we are again raising funds for ACT in the fight against C. difficile and other conditions. If you would like to contribute to this fight, here is the link to the fundraising page for 2023.
Thank you again for all of your support, love, and generosity. Please let me know if you have any questions and I sure hope to see you in May!
It was such a joy to be with so many of you in May 2022 to Run for Nana and Achieving Cures Together (ACT) at the Colfax Marathon Weekend! It was such an honor to join together for a reception with the leaders of ACT and this pioneering research for C. difficile: Christie Lansdowne, Peter Westerhaus, and Dr. Alexander Khoruts. I look forward to sharing more about our 2022 efforts, but it’s already time to look toward our 2023 race! I would like to invite you to join me by “Running for Nana” as part of our ACT 2023 Colfax Marathon Weekend team!
I’m specifically writing today because I’m guessing you love a good deal as much as I do. If you register by this Wednesday, January 25th by 11:59 pm, you will lock in the lowest registration price! You can choose the race that suits you best: the 5K (3.1 miles), 10 mile, half marathon (13.1 miles), full marathon (26.2 miles), or marathon relay (5 person relay with distances ranging from 4 to 6.5 miles). Walkers, hand-cyclers, strollers, and dogs welcome in the 5K!
How do I join the team?: On the registration page, a question asks, “Are you considering raising funds or awareness for a charity?” select “Yes”. A drop down menu will pop up below entitled “Select Team” – just click the drop down and select Achieving Cures Together. If you have any issues with registration, please let me know! Also, the more the merrier, so please feel free to share this with others in your circle that you think might like to join us!
Thank you again for all of your support, love, and generosity. More to come soon – let’s keep the fight going against C. difficile! Our 2023 fundraising page will be live soon as well, and I will send an update with the link!
It is truly so hard to believe how quickly this year is moving. Somehow we are already under two months away from the 2022 Colfax Marathon Weekend, May 14-15th!
I’m about to start week 3 of my half marathon training plan and it has been a reminder of how much I love this Running for Nana team and also of how glad I am to have several more weeks before race day…
That’s also why I’m writing today! Our 2022 Running for Nana Team continues to grow for the Colfax Marathon Weekend! And, we would absolutely LOVE to have YOU on our team as we join with Achieving Cures Together (ACT) to fight back against C. difficile! And don’t worry, you don’t have to run a marathon! You don’t even have to run at all. There are several options to choose from:
Runs through Mile High Stadium, around Sloan’s Lake, and through stunning west Denver
If you’re ready to sign up, simply visit the Colfax Registration page, choose the race you’d like to participate in, and selectAchieving Cures Together as your Charity Partner! Please let me know if you have any questions. Register by April 13th at 11:59 pm to get the lowest registration rates!
Additionally, I am THRILLED to announce that we will have some very special guests joining us this year from Minnesota for Saturday of the race weekend!
—Dr. Alexander Khoruts, Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Khoruts is a key faculty member at the U of M’s Microbiota Therapeutics Program (MTP), and the person that first made me aware of the intestinal microbiota transplantation (IMT). I am so grateful for the work that Dr. Khoruts has spearheaded in C. difficile research and am so grateful that he will also be able to join us this year in Colorado!
—Christie Lansdowne, Executive Director of Achieving Cures Together. Many of you met Christie and her mom at the race in October, 2021! We are so thrilled that she can join us again this year.
—Peter Westerhaus, Founder and President of Achieving Cures Together. Many of you met Peter in previous years at our post-5K event. Peter started ACT after experiencing the devastating impacts of C. difficile and other similar conditions.
Our post-5K event will also get a bit of an upgrade this year! We will meet at Grandma’s House Brewery from 11-1 on Saturday, May 14th for food, conversation, and celebration of the incredible work that Achieving Cures Together continues to do every day to help end C. difficile! We will send out an invitation soon, but please save the date as we would love to have you join us!
What a joy it was to gather in person with so many of you in October to Run for Nana and Achieving Cures Together (ACT) at the Colfax Marathon Weekend! We were also so delighted to welcome Christie Lansdowne, Executive Director of ACT, to Colorado!
This post has been a long time coming, and I am so thrilled to be writing to you today. When Running for Nana started in 2016, we had just lost our beloved Nana to C. diff in August 2015 after an incredible fight. I was searching for a way to cope with, process, and fight back against this awful infection in the hopes that others might not have the same experience as Nana. I could not have imagined what this community has become, and I am so deeply honored and grateful to each and every one of you for bringing this community to life.
Through our 2021 race, the Running for Nana community raised over $15,000 for ACT and the fight against C. difficile. That means that since Running for Nana started in 2016, this team has raised over $100,000, supporting the advancement of cures and treatments for C. difficile and many other conditions. All of these funds have gone directly to ACT and the University of Minnesota’s Microbiota Therapeutics Program (MTP) – two leaders in C. difficile research.
Specifically, you helped make the following advancements possible:
Over 1,000 patients have been cured from recurrent C. difficile infections – all at no cost to the patient. ONE THOUSAND people who got to have more time with their loved ones.
Supplied intestinal microbiota therapeutics (IMT) to clinical trials around the country, targeting:
C. difficile Infections Multi-Center Trial (Veterans Administration Medical System)
C. difficile Infections Clinical Treatment Registry (University of Minnesota, Indiana University, Brown University, Harvard University)
Autism (Arizona State University)
Pitt-Hopkins Disease (Arizona State University)
Ulcerative Colitis (University of Minnesota)
Advanced Liver Disease (Richmond VA & Virginia Commonwealth University)
Complications of Bone Marrow Transplantation (University of Minnesota)
Complications of Intensive Chemotherapy for Acute Leukemia (University of Minnesota)
Immuno-oncology (University of Minnesota)
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (University of Minnesota)
The MTP developed capsules of the IMT treatment, making it more accessible to fight recurrent C. difficile. This meant that the treatment no longer had to be delivered via a colonoscopy-like procedure and instead, could be taken as a simple capsule.
None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you SO much for being a part of this journey, I cannot wait to see where it goes next!
And speaking of next, the 2022 Colfax Marathon Weekend is rapidly approaching, May 14-15, 2022! I will write again soon with more details, but we would LOVE to have you as part of our team! You can choose the race that suits you best: the 5K, 10 mile, half marathon (13.1 miles), full marathon (26.2 miles), or marathon relay (5 person relay with distances ranging from 4 to 6.5 miles). Walkers, hand-cyclers, strollers, and dogs welcome in the 5K!
If you are ready to sign up, simply visit the Colfax Registration page, choose the race you’d like to participate in, and select Achieving Cures Together as your Charity Partner. Please let me know if you have any questions!!
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! Mailing address on website as well.
This weekend, the Running for Nana team will gather together at the Colfax Marathon Weekend to support Achieving Cures Together (ACT) and their remarkable fight against C. difficile!! I absolutely cannot wait to see our team participate in the half marathon, 10-miler, and 5K races – I’ll be in 10 mile too!
We will also have an Achieving Cures Together tent in Charity Village at the finish line! Christie Lansdowne, Executive Director of ACT, is flying in from Minnesota to be with us, and will be at our tent to meet everyone!! We are so grateful that Christie can join us.
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. Because of the generosity of each of you through philanthropic support, we’ve raised ~$93,000 in the fight to end C. difficile since Running for Nana started! This year, our goal is to pass the $100,000 mark.Thank you SO much to everyone who has already donated and helped us move toward our goal!
To date, these donations have significantly helped to advance the fight against C. difficile:
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! I know Nana would be thrilled to know that fewer people have had to suffer the awful effects of C. difficile.
I’ll send another update after our weekend is complete. Thank you again for being a part of this adventure!
I’m not exactly sure how the time has passed so quickly, but somehow it’s already September and we can officially say that the Colfax Marathon Weekend is next month!
Our 3rd Annual Running for Nana team has already grown to 21 people! I cannot wait to join you in support of Achieving Cures Together and the fight to end C. difficile on October 16th and 17th.
If you would like to join our team, I would absolutely LOVE to have you. And, there’s no time like the present! By September 13th, if we have just 8 more Saturday runners (Half Marathon, Marathon/Relay, or 10-mile) or 16 5K runners – or a combination thereof – we will once again have a Charity Partner tent in Charity Village on Race Weekend (picture below from our 2019 team)! All of the details on how to sign up are in the previous blog post, linked here.
Also, I completely understand if running isn’t your thing. If you still want to “Run for Nana” and fight against C. diff, we are raising funds again this year to directly support Achieving Cures Together and their fight against C. diff and other awful conditions.
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. Because of the generosity of each of you through philanthropic support, we’ve raised ~$93,000 in the fight to end C. difficile since Running for Nana started! This year, our goal is to pass the $100,000 mark. If you would like to help us reach this goal, please visit the ACT Fundraising Page Link: https://www.achievingcures.com/colfaxmarathon.
To date, these donations have significantly helped to advance the fight against C. difficile:
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! Nana would be thrilled to know that fewer people have had to suffer the awful effects of C. difficile.
Sending you all a great big hug – I hope to see you in October!
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!
As of last Saturday afternoon, our first ever Virtual Run for Nana and Achieving Cures Together is in the books!
It’s no secret that I absolutely cherish the Colfax Marathon weekend. And, though I completely understand and support the need to postpone the event, I was definitely disappointed when we learned that we wouldn’t be together under the ACT tent in City Park this May. But, I never could have imagined that a virtual event would fill me with so much energy, joy, and hope. Thank you so much for making a virtual community possible!
A huge thank you to our special guests, Peter Westerhaus, Christie Lansdowne, and Dr. Alexander Khoruts for joining us and sharing such important and pertinent information about ACT and the continued pursuit of cures for C. diff and other conditions at the University of Minnesota. I really believe that because of their dedicated work, there will be a day when people no longer suffer from C. diff in the way that Nana did. What an extraordinary day that will be!
If you were unable to join the event but would like to watch the recording, please visit this link (forgot to record until a couple minutes in, but almost all of it is here!): https://photos.app.goo.gl/1LtG6bYg1VEjLxxb6
And, because it was the Colfax Marathon weekend, after all, Ian and I completed our half marathon race on Sunday. Not the Colfax course (it’s much more hilly around our house, which was…interesting) and certainly strange to have to remind yourself to keep a 6 foot distance from other people on the trail, but it was still very special.
Also, we participated in the ACT Scavenger Hunt throughout our race! If you run/walk/handcycle any distance (even just an evening walk around the neighborhood!), take a selfie with any of the items listed at the bottom of this blog and post it to Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #ACTrunnersfornana – you’ll be entered to win a prize!
I will keep you posted with the winners of our scavenger hunt, as well as updates on our fundraising progress and any new race updates. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for making this possible. Great big virtual hugs to all!
I hope this post finds you safe, healthy, and well as can be in the midst of these challenging times.
I’m writing today to invite you to join us for the first everVirtual Run for Nana and Achieving Cures Together (ACT) Appreciation Event to end C. difficile! While we hope to be together for a rescheduled Colfax Marathon Weekend in the fall, we are SO grateful for the opportunity to creatively gather for celebration, appreciation, community, and hope. [PLUS! There are special guests!]
When is the event and who can come?
The virtual zoom event is on Saturday, May 16th from 1:00 – 2:00 PM. You are ALL invited, along with any of your friends and family! Please feel free to invite others.
So what are we going to do at a virtual event?
Don’t worry – you don’t have to run! [Unless you want to, in which case we’ll share fun ways to complete your run and connect with ACT!] At the event, you’ll hear how ACT and the Microbiota Therapeutics Program (MTP) at the University of Minnesota are pioneering critical research in the fight to end C. difficile and other awful conditions. And of course, we’ll share about our special Nana and why we’ve spent the last 5 years running in celebration of her.
You said something about special guests??
YES! A silver lining of doing a virtual event is that we will have three special guests:
Peter Westerhaus, Founder of ACT
Christie Lansdowne, Executive Director of ACT
Dr. Alexander Khoruts, Medical Director of the Microbiota Therapeutics Program at the University of Minnesota
Peter Westerhaus founded ACT in 2017 after experiencing C. diff firsthand. Christie Lansdowne joined ACT in 2019 as the Executive Director and continues to drive ACT forward by supporting the treatment of patients with C. diff and continuing to push for cures. And Dr. Alexander Khoruts has been at the cutting edge of research on C. difficile to help end this terrible infection and others like it. Thanks to his research, over 590 individuals have been cured of recurrent C. difficile. We are thrilled that Dr. Khoruts can join us and share more about the current work that his team is focusing on, including responses to COVID-19.
Can’t wait – how do I sign up?!
If you are able to join us for this special event, please let me know and I’ll send you the zoom link for the event!
Thank you so much for being a part of this community. I can’t tell you how much your continual support, love, and joy means to me. I hope to “see” you on Saturday, May 16th!
Greetings – wishing you all health and safety as we navigate this very strange and difficult time.
You may have already seen this in your email, but in light of the continuously changing circumstances regarding COVID-19, the Colfax Marathon has today officially cancelled the race weekend on May 16-17th. Though it is of course disappointing that we will not be able to convene together in May, we completely understand and are very grateful to the race organizers for taking the necessary but challenging steps to keep each of us safe.
As mentioned in the message, the organizers are working with the City of Denver in hopes of rescheduling the race to sometime in fall 2020. Understandably, because so many events have been impacted by this pandemic and circumstances continue to change on what seems like an hourly basis, decisions on rescheduling will not be made until the end of April or later. We will keep you updated as new information becomes available, and greatly appreciate your patience and flexibility as we move ahead.
In the midst of these challenging times, Achieving Cures Together’s purpose remains the same – to support the treatment of patients with C. diff and continue pushing the microbiome research frontier for cures. And so, we are approaching this change in plans as an opportunity for creativity, physically-distanced-togetherness, and hope. I will send another update soon as we decide how we will “Run for Nana” this year. If you can, keep May 16th penciled in on your calendar for a potential virtual event – thank goodness for technology!
Most importantly, I hope that you, your loved ones, and your communities are safe and healthy. Thank you so much for being part of our Running for Nana community, and for supporting Achieving Cures Together in the fight against C. diff. The Colfax Marathon is one of my favorite weekends every year, and you make it all possible. Running for Nana will look different this year, but we’ll do all we can to make it just as special. More to come soon, but please feel free to reach out in the meantime with any questions or concerns. Love you all!
And, because it was the Colfax Marathon weekend, after all, Ian and I completed our half marathon race on Sunday. Not the Colfax course (it’s much more hilly around our house, which was…interesting) and certainly strange to have to remind yourself to keep a 6 foot distance from other people on the trail, but it was still very special.
Running for Nana 