The streets of Cape Town were lined with purple on Friday as hundreds of men and boys in purple Speedos bravely ran 5km in aid of male cancer awareness in the 2023 Hollard Daredevil Run.
Satellite runs took place all around South Africa, from major centres to small towns and rural communities.
About 40 runners from the Celtic Harriers running club took to the streets of Rondebosch running the 5km around the Rondebosch Common in peak traffic to raise awareness for this cause.
The Hollard Daredevil Run has become a nationwide phenomenon since it first started in 2009, raising eyebrows and raising awareness about prostate and testicular cancer.
This year they set out to achieve the biggest and bravest run to date, said Warwick Bloom, head of group marketing at Hollard. This year also saw more high schools taking part than ever before, with many schools and hundreds of pupils in provinces around the country getting teams together to support the cause.
“Many men may be reluctant to talk about health issues or seek professional help. It is for this reason that cancer is often diagnosed later and perhaps at a more advanced stage.
“Detecting and treating these cancers early means better futures for men and their families around the country,” said Mr Bloom.
Celtic Harriers club secretary Glenn Muller said it was their first time taking part in this event, but it would not be the last. He said the cause had been near and dear to its members, some of whom were either directly or indirectly affected by cancer.
“Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer affecting males in South Africa yet men largely feel that cancer affects females mostly. These initiatives highlight and create awareness that cancer in males is real and you need to go out there and have yourself checked out.
“Over the years, Celtic Harriers have started to adopt a holistic approach to running with emotional wellbeing of the member just as important as the physical aspect. Covid-19 was a big wake-up call and initiatives such as the Hollard Daredevil run aligned with the community development aspirations of the club,” he said.
Mr Muller said one of their objectives was to promote, develop and support athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds and to align the club to worthy causes that shared the same ethos and values.
“It was a no-brainer when the guys from Hollard Daredevil run approached us to get involved. It took incredible courage for the guys to line up and support a worthy cause in purple Speedos. Kudos to all our guys who participated as well as our sponsors on the day. Celtic Harries will also be making a donation to the Cancer Association of South Africa,” he said.
All proceeds from the Hollard Daredevil Run go to the Cancer Association of South Africa and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa, to fund testing in under-resourced areas and increase awareness, support and research.
Celtic Harriers Club is hosting the 62nd running of the Don Lock Memorial Race on Sunday October 22. The race starts and finishes at Claremont Primary School, and you can enter on Friday, Saturday or on race day. The 15km race starts at 6am and the 8km at 8am. Contact Mr Muller at 082 997 3252 for enquiries.
