At 6 a.m. on September 24, Li Xiaowei, 50, a breast cancer patient, left home with her husband. Their destination was the Chaoyang Park, located some 30 km away, for the 13th Beijing Hope Run.

The event was originated from the Terry Fox Run, the largest single-day cancer fundraiser in the world, in memory of Terry Fox, a Canadian bone cancer patient who ran 5,373 km across Canada in 143 days in 1980 to raise funds for cancer research. The principal organizers of the run were the Cancer Institute and Hospital (CIH) of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the China Cancer Foundation. The Embassy of Canada in Beijing, the International Red Cross (Beijing Branch) and the Chaoyang District Health Bureau were the main coordinators.

Titled "Running for Hope, Raising Money for Fighting Against Cancer," this year's run started at 9:00 a.m. in the Thousand People's Square. Li, the third-time participant, joined her peers at the starting line, at Beijing Anti-Cancer Paradise, a nonprofit community for cancer survivors.

"I think it is meaningful for cancer patient like me to pep others up, and promote anti-cancer knowledge," Li told Beijing Review. "I've been suffering from cancer for 13 years. All I want is to live happy and healthy."

Zhu Zheng, a doctor with CIH Diagnosis Department, brought her 11-month-old baby son to the run. "I've been working at CIH for seven years. As a cancer treatment professional, I think it's important to have ordinary people get involved in anti-cancer campaigns, especially through this event," Zhu noted.

A charity project called "Health Theme Park" was held in conjunction with the run, providing cancer prevention information through lectures, brochures and boards.

Lillian Erickson, 12, a Brisbane native, was informed about the run by her school, the Western Academy of Beijing. "I think it will be fun, and I told my dad about this," she said.

"I've been in Beijing for six years, but this is the first time I joined the run," said Lillian's father Michael Erickson, managing principal with Earthasia Design Group. "It's a good course."

According to statistics from CIH, more than 250,000 people have taken part in the run since its debut in 1999. The event has raised more than 10 million yuan (approximately $1.55 million) for ongoing cancer research in China. Areas of research include cervical cancer in poor and remote areas of Shanxi Province; the Taihang Anti-Cancer Project which covers a population of more than 600,000; and epidemiological research on malignant tumors in Tibet Autonomous Region.

A fund for impoverished cancer patients identified by an "early diagnosis, early cure" project sponsored by the Ministry of Health was launched at last year's run. Currently, the fund has distributed some 246,600 yuan (about $38,000) to 327 patients nationwide.