Children Without Cancer City Race: A Day of Hope Against Pediatric Cancer
On Thursday, May 30, 2024, the Children Without Cancer City race returned to La Défense, flooding the heart of Europe’s largest business district with an incredible wave of pink and blue.
For a few hours, a sea of 2,000 runners and walkers, including over 60 committed companies, took over the streets of the “French City” during a solidarity lunch break, all united by a common goal: to accelerate research against the leading cause of disease-related death in children over the age of one in France and Europe.
Patricia Blanc, founding president of Imagine for Margo, enthusiastically said: “This year, we were SOLD OUT for this solidarity event against pediatric cancer. The mobilization at La Défense was exceptional, with 2,000 runners and walkers, all putting their strides to good use for a great cause. Thanks to their dedication and that of their companies, we continue building the ‘WIN’ we all hope for. After this amazing day, I have one message: GO, RUN, WIN!”
Indeed, for this record-breaking 5th edition, 2,000 solidarity runners gathered at Paris La Défense at 11 a.m. at the race village organized by the Imagine for Margo team. After collecting their bibs and specially designed t-shirts, participants were invited by the event’s host, Steeve Kondo, to enjoy the various activities offered in this beautiful district. The day included performances by the WolfPack Cheerleaders from Paris Sorbonne, freestyle football by Jonathan Paul, photo booths, and tattoo stations—everything needed to make this solidarity lunch break a huge success.
The morning concluded with an outdoor warm-up session led by Neoness coaches, who had come especially for the occasion. After a kickoff speech, Olivier Blanc, the event coordinator at Imagine for Margo, gave the official starting signal for this exceptional Children Without Cancer City edition. This year, the race was labeled by the Ministry of Sports as part of the Great National Cause 2024 campaign “Move 30 minutes every day.”
Whether before the event or during the 4 or 10 kilometers of the course, Imagine for Margo kept the solidarity runners of La Défense “moving.” The association also planned many surprises along the way. The course featured spectacular entertainment, including cheerleaders, a beatboxer, and marching bands.
For an hour, the association’s blue and pink t-shirts paraded through the streets of La Défense, astonishing thousands of onlookers.
This moment of solidarity culminated in the traditional check presentation ceremony to the researchers who work daily to cure children and adolescents affected by cancer. After an emotional moment and a thunderous round of applause, a remarkable sum of €437,000 was unveiled and symbolically handed over to Dr. Pablo Berlanga of Gustave Roussy. This record-breaking sum will primarily fund Fight Kids Cancer research projects, which will be announced in June and will focus on brain tumors this year.
100% of funds donated to Fight Kids Cancer to combat brain tumors
The funds raised during this event will help finance the programs selected by the Fight Kids Cancer call for projects in June. This year, the initiative—created in 2020 by Imagine for Margo and its partner associations—will boost research into childhood brain tumors.
Brain tumors are the second most common form of childhood cancer after leukemia. Among solid tumors in children, those of the central nervous system are the most frequent (30% of tumors). Over 3,000 young warriors, including about 500 in France, are affected each year in Europe.
In the past 30 years, the treatment and recovery of children and adolescents with brain tumors have seen very little progress. Faced with this reality, Fight Kids Cancer has decided to take action by dedicating its 2024 call for projects to this type of cancer. The goal is simple: to accelerate innovation in the treatment of childhood brain tumors and meet the urgent need for effective therapies.
Patricia Blanc, the founding president of Imagine for Margo, explains: “This year, we chose to focus this call solely on brain tumors. When Margo was affected by this cancer in 2011, there was no treatment available. Twelve years later, despite the incredible funds raised for research, no effective treatment has yet been developed. With this call for projects, we aim to continue her fight and provide new therapeutic solutions for the thousands of children battling this type of cancer.”
As with every edition, 100% of the donations collected by the association go directly to research, thanks to the support of the event’s partners:
JOIN US IN SEPTEMBER 2025 TO RUN OR WALK AGAINST CHILDHOOD CANCER
Following the resounding success of this recent city edition, we invite you to mark September 28 on your calendars. Join us at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud or virtually to participate in the 14th edition of the Children Without Cancer race.
Together, let’s keep running toward a world where children are free from cancer!
