The Roparun is a relay race of ~550 kilometres from Paris to Rotterdam, where people in teams, take part in an athletic event to raise money for people with cancer. It’s also called an adventure for life. This is also clear from the motto, which for years has been: ‘Adding life to days, when days often can’t be added to life’.
A Roparun team consists of a maximum of eight runners who thus each run an average of about 65 kilometres, in other words more than one and a half marathons (!). In addition a team consists of at least two cyclists and a number of additional support people. For example, there are drivers, care-givers, caterers and road captains. Teams are responsible for arranging for these tasks themselves, and an average team has 25 people.
In addition to the athletic endeavours, an effort must also be made to raise money for the cause. Teams do this by organising all kinds of activities. For example, they pack groceries, wash cars, hold collections and look for sponsors. Team members are also required to sell Roparun raffle tickets, whose proceeds go the cause.
The three teams with the highest proceeds and the six teams that have won a prize for their running speeds, are honoured during the final celebration of the Roparun, which is held a few weeks after the finish. The total proceeds of the Roparun are also announced on that evening. The past 32 iterations of the Roparun have already raised over 85 million euros for care for people with cancer.
Worthy cause
The money collected during the Roparun event is allocated to institutions, causes or projects that fulfill the Roparun motto. This can include equipping a walk-in centre where (ex-)cancer patients and/or relatives can meet. Holidays for people with cancer and their families so that they can create a beautiful memory, even in an unpleasant period. Workshops in hospitals where people with cancer learn to deal with changes in appearance arising from the treatments. A nice day out for sick children and their brothers or sisters, so that they don’t have to think about being ill for a while. The development of ‘palliative boxes’, a resource for people in a terminal phase who would like to stay in their own home environment. Or equipping a hospice to ensure that people can stay in a pleasant environment during their final phase of life.
For more information please check out the official Roparun website.