by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
One media celebrity, two City leaders, a doctor and former Olympian were at the Mayo Clinic Thursday to announce a national marathon dedicated to raise funds to fight breast cancer.
The 26.2 with Donna: The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer, is a partnership between The Donna Hicken Foundation and Mayo Clinic to benefit research in fighting breast cancer and women living with breast cancer.
Dr. Edith Perez, multidisciplinary breast cancer director at Mayo, and Hicken founded the annual marathon. Former Olympian Jeff Galloway, who has coached more than 200,000 marathon runners, will be the event director. The announcement also included guest speakers Mayor John Peyton and City Council President Kevin Hyde, who both said they give their full support.
“You’re going to have the full resources of the City,” said Peyton after mentioning it was the first time he’s been to Mayo without being “probed.”
Hyde also challenged Peyton to a race at the three-day marathon.
Though the 26.2 with Donna will not take place on Jacksonville Beach until Feb. 15, 2008, Hicken said it gives them time to set up the marathon, gather funding and participants. Galloway said he wants at least 5,000 runners to participate the first year, but Hicken added that there’s going to be a lot more.
“This is going to be a marquee event for the City,” she said. “And they’re (runners) not nearly as obnoxious as football fans.”
The marathon’s first fund-raiser was Thursday night at the J. Johnson Gallery in Jacksonville Beach.