a Step Up for Science
Every September, thousands of footsteps, pedals, and strokes push forward a cause greater than fitness. The CancerFree KIDS 100 Mile Challenge returns in 2025 for its fourth year, inviting individuals and teams across Greater Cincinnati—and beyond—to commit to 100 miles of movement and $100 in fundraising during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. What began in 2021 as a bold idea to mix community wellness with philanthropic impact has now become one of the fastest-growing fundraisers in the region, raising hundreds of thousands for life-saving pediatric cancer research.
The concept is simple: log 100 miles of activity between September 1–30 and raise $100 in donations. Yet its results are anything but simple. Since its launch, the challenge has helped fund eight groundbreaking research projects focused on some of the toughest pediatric cancers, including high-grade gliomas, acute myeloid leukemia, and osteosarcoma. These early-stage projects, supported by CancerFree KIDS, have already attracted more than $700,000 in follow-on funding, fueling discoveries that could lead to gentler, more effective treatments for children facing cancer.
Beyond the Miles: The Power of Participation
The 100 Mile Challenge isn’t just about logging steps. It’s about building awareness and community. Participants walk, run, cycle, swim, garden, or even stretch their way toward the goal, connecting fitness with philanthropy. Registration is $25, which includes a t-shirt, fundraising page, month-long engagement activities, and a finisher’s medal. Along the way, participants meet and hear from children whose stories inspire the movement.
For those who want to go bigger, CancerFree KIDS offers multiple ways to participate:
Community Teams: Rally friends, families, and neighbors to collectively raise funds. The top community team earns the honor of having a research grant named after them.
Corporate Competition: Companies can encourage wellness while making a social impact. Three winning teams are recognized with research grants named in their honor, bringing company pride into the fight against childhood cancer.
Solo Participation: For individuals who want a personal challenge, the structure is flexible—any form of movement counts.
The Kick-Off Party at Paycor Stadium on August 14 and the After-Party Concert on September 26 bring participants together, creating bookends of celebration around a month of collective effort.
What Sets CancerFree KIDS Apart
While many nonprofits fight childhood cancer, CancerFree KIDS has carved out a distinctive role: funding early-stage, high-risk, high-reward research that often falls through the cracks of traditional funding. Their focus is both strategic and catalytic—helping promising research gain traction at the earliest stages, where federal grants are hardest to secure.
This model works. With over $9.45 million in grants awarded since inception, CancerFree KIDS has leveraged that investment into more than $114 million in subsequent funding for researchers. It’s a return that multiplies hope and accelerates the search for better treatments.
The organization’s story is rooted in personal experience. Founded by Ellen Flannery, who faced her daughter’s cancer diagnosis at just five months old, CancerFree KIDS was built on the belief that no idea should be shelved because of a lack of early funding. That vision has now grown into a nonprofit ranked highly for transparency and accountability, with signature community events like The Night for the Fight, The Butterfly Walk, and the 100 Mile Challenge driving both dollars and awareness.
The Urgency of Now
The statistics are sobering: less than 8% of federal cancer research funding is dedicated to childhood cancers, despite the fact that over 95% of childhood cancer survivors will face long-term health complications by age 45. The need for more targeted, gentler, and effective treatments has never been greater.
CancerFree KIDS exists to bridge this gap. Every dollar raised through the 100 Mile Challenge fuels research designed to give kids not just survival, but healthier, fuller lives beyond cancer. Every mile logged is a tangible statement of solidarity with children and families who face diagnoses too heavy for any child to bear.
Why Join in 2025
Whether you’re a runner lacing up for daily miles, a company rallying employees for a cause, or a family walking together each night, the 100 Mile Challenge offers a way to transform everyday movement into extraordinary impact. It’s accessible, community-driven, and deeply meaningful.
When the Challenge concludes on September 30, participants won’t just look back at miles covered. They’ll see the lives their steps helped change, the research their dollars launched, and the hope they’ve carried forward.
This September, step up. Lace up. And move science forward—one mile at a time.
Learn more and register at cfk100milechallenge.org.