Fitness-minded students, faculty, staff and alumni will join together Saturday morning to participate in the 21st annual campus Domer Run to raise money for Notre Dame's Prostate Awareness Cancer Education program.
"It's been for different causes throughout the years," said organizer Bill Reagan, "always something dealing with cancer. It used to be a fundraiser for breast cancer, and now for prostate cancer."
According to the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, roughly 29,000 American men die each year from prostate cancer, and one in six are at a lifetime risk of developing the disease.
The event, sponsored primarily by RecSports and the Alumni Association, is divided into three components: a six-mile run, a three-mile run and a two-mile walk.
All three groups will begin and end near the quad in front of the Hesburgh Library and follow a course designed to highlight the most scenic aspects of campus.
"The race begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, and it starts across the north gate of the Stadium," Reagan said. "Registration is right on the Library Mall. The finish line is right around there too - runners will end up running right towards Touchdown Jesus."
Reagan and a committee of organizers have been working to put the race together since early September, after a planning meeting this summer.
A large part of the organizing process, he said, was to design a new course for participants to follow.
"It's kind of a unique course," organizer Bill Reagan said. "A lot of work goes into putting the course together itself. It winds all around campus ... Anyone who does the six-mile run is going to see a lot of campus and around the two lakes."
Last year, the race boasted 156 participants, but Reagan said he would like to see that number increase this time around.
"I'd like to double that, but I think people are kind of watching the weather," he said. "So anything we can do to encourage them to either sign up early at RecSports or come out that morning is really helpful."
Reagan said organizers have tried to advertise the event through as many means possible that will attract a higher number of participants.
"Students are our target group to actually run in the race," he said. "We'll have six categories in both the 6-mile and 3-mile events. We have male and female undergrad, grads and staff/faculty categories. We have a lot of grad students that participate. We had a lot of undergrad females last year and a lot of graduate males."
Sponsorship of the event by local and on-campus businesses has allowed organizers to donate all proceeds from the race to the P.A.C.E. program.
Last year, Reagan estimated, about $1,000 was donated to the charity, and this year he said he hopes the $8 race-day entry fee will attract new participants.
Everyone who takes part in the event will receive a T-shirt and a pancake breakfast at the finish line.
"adidas will furnish each winner with a pair of running shoes, too," Reagan said. "They get a plaque from RecSports and a certificate for a pair of new running shoes."
