Whitney’s Race is a 10k in honor of Whitney Marsh, who died from pancreatic cancer on November 1, 2018. The race is organized by the Whitney Marsh Foundation, which raises money for research and treatment of pancreatic cancer. 

 “I was 14 when I lost my mom, and honestly, cancer can happen to anyone anytime. I love seeing kids my age being able to participate in this and acknowledge that it’s something that’s around us,” said Heidi Marsh.

Approximately 70% of all raised funds at the race go to local research, with the remainder going to an internationally known pancreatic cancer research institute, MD Anderson. Whitney’s Race is used as a metaphor for a race against time. The time that most people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer do not have. The foundation has donated $10,000 to both Mercy and Baptist Hospital, with the remainder of the proceeds paying for the expenses of the race and going to MD Anderson. 

“I would say the most exciting part of the race is seeing the community and my students come to participate to help support me and my family and also getting to donate the money back to the community who helped us so much and help fight pancreatic cancer,” Marsh said.

This year’s race included a 5k run, walk, or crawl, and a 10k race or run. The race had almost 600 participants in total. Whitney’s race, along with running and racing, also included food, games, and live music. Overall, Whitney’s Race is a great cause and is both beneficial and fun for all participants.