The annual 65 Roses 5k and Cleveland Half Marathon have been canceled, according to race director Dr. Bill Estes and Cleveland Half Marathon organizer Brittany Katz. The collaborative event was scheduled to take place on Saturday, Sept. 12, on the Lee University campus.
"We had so hoped that the concerns related to the pandemic would lessen by the fall, but it has become evident that circumstances will not allow us to continue with the event as planned without taking risks we feel are too great,” said Dr. Estes. “This spring, post-pandemic, we look forward to getting back in the business of putting on a quality event for the cure of Cystic Fibrosis.”
The annual Great Strides Walk and 65 Roses 5k, held to raise funds and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, will take place at its regular time in spring 2021, and more information will be released in the coming weeks.
According to Ms. Katz, the next Cleveland Half Marathon will take place on May 15, 2021, and all current registered participants have been transferred to the 2021 event. “We look forward to being able to put on the same quality race in 2021 that people have come to know and look forward from Terra Running Company. In the meantime, we so appreciate the support of the community during this challenging season.”
The CF Foundation is working in conjunction with Lee University on a safe alternative format to celebrate the local CF community in fall 2020. Details will be announced soon.
“The cystic fibrosis community is strong and full of resolve,” said Dr. Mike Hayes, vice president for student development at Lee and chair of the Cleveland Great Strides planning committee. “Their determination to change the lives of their loved ones fighting this disease is unending, and we will continue to stand with them in that fight. We look forward to seeing the Great Strides teams and 65 Roses runners next spring.”
The Cleveland event has raised more than $1.1 million for the Foundation since Cleveland’s Great Strides began in 2000.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a nonprofit donor-supported organization dedicated to attacking cystic fibrosis from every angle. Its focus is to support the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improve the quality of life for those with CF, and ultimately find a cure.
For more information about the Cleveland Great Strides or 65 Roses 5k, visit leeuniversity.edu/cf or follow on Facebook.
For more information about the Cleveland Half Marathon, visit clevelandhalf.com/.
For more information about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, visit cff.org/.