The GO Run is a 5K, but the free skin screenings and HPV testing available afterward may be the more consequential part of the morning.
The 19th annual event, presented by the Catranis Family Charitable Foundation, runs from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium, 500 Stadium Drive in Mobile.
Proceeds support research at the Mitchell Cancer Institute focused on early detection, prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers. Organizers credit the event’s long-standing community support with helping advance that work.
Free Health Services on Site
Attendees can take advantage of several free services during the event:
- Onsite skin screenings provided by the Mitchell Cancer Institute
- Self-collected HPV testing, provided by Southern Research
- Genetic testing, provided by Southern Research
Self-collected HPV testing is a meaningful inclusion. Persistent HPV infection causes the large majority of cervical cancers, and self-collection removes the single largest barrier to screening for many people — the need for a pelvic exam.
StretchLab will also offer free post-race stretches.
Two Ways to Participate
Participants can run the 5K or take part in the Fun Run.
Fun Run awards go to the top male and female finishers, and every Fun Run participant who finishes receives a ribbon.
5K Awards
Awards will go to the top male and female overall finishers, as well as top male and female in each of these categories:
- Masters
- Grandmasters
- Senior grandmasters
- Race walkers
- Adaptive athletes
The top three male and female finishers in each age group also receive prizes. Age groups run from 9 and under through 80 and older, in five-year increments.
Sixteen age brackets plus five special categories is a deliberately wide award structure — it means a 72-year-old race walker and a 12-year-old runner both have something to compete for.
Team Competition
Teams can compete for:
- Highest Fundraising Team
- Most Team Spirit
- Best Dressed Team
- Largest Team
Participants can join an existing team or create one during registration.
After the Race
Post-race activities include sponsor booths, food and beverages, and a kids’ area with inflatables.
Registration and Packet Pickup
Registration costs $15 to $25. Participants must register by Sept. 16 to be guaranteed a T-shirt on race day.
Packet pickup:
- 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at Fleet Feet Mobile
- 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 25 at the SGA Pavilion
- 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Sept. 26 at the SGA Pavilion
Why Gynecologic Cancer Research
Gynecologic cancers — of the cervix, ovaries, uterus, vagina and vulva — vary widely in how detectable they are early. Cervical cancer is among the most preventable cancers there is, because screening catches precancerous changes years before they become malignant. Ovarian cancer has no equivalent screening test and is most often found late.
That gap is precisely what early-detection research aims at, and it is where the money raised Saturday is directed.