One in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. But you can help fight the disease in East Tennessee by participating in THE MAN RUN for Prostate Cancer Awareness, presented by SunTrust Bank, East Tennessee. Now in its second year, THE MAN RUN is an event for the entire family that honors prostate cancer survivors and raises prostate cancer awareness and funds to provide free prostate cancer screenings and outreach programs throughout the community, delivered by The University of Tennessee Medical Center Cancer Institute.

This year’s THE MAN RUN is Saturday, Aug. 29 at 8 a.m. at UT Medical Center. Each entry fee in the race allows two more men in the region to be screened for free. The event includes a 5K race on a new certified course as well as a 1-mile fun walk. Online registration for the event is available at www.manrun.org or www.utmedicalcenter.org. For questions about the event, call 865.305.8577.

“Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death in men,” said Paul Hatcher, a urologist at UT Medical Center. “Additionally, aside from skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in men. Prostate cancer is a serious disease and THE MAN RUN is an extremely positive event for this community as it promotes prostate cancer awareness and supports important screening programs for men at risk for developing prostate cancer.”

Approximately 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 27,000 men will die from the disease this year. Early detection, through methods such as prostate cancer screenings, is crucial to boosting survival rates.

“THE MAN RUN is an excellent opportunity for families to come together, have a good time and support prostate cancer screening, education and outreach programs in the Knoxville area,” said Dr. Fred Klein, a UT Medical Center urologist. “Last year, we created THE MAN RUN to serve as the region’s first community-wide event to recognize prostate cancer as a significant health issue, promote early detection of prostate cancer through screening and awareness and celebrate prostate cancer survivors.”

Individual and team entries are available for THE MAN RUN. A Sleep in for the Man category also is optional for those wishing to donate but unable to attend the event. Additional donations are accepted online and are tax deductible.

THE MAN RUN for Prostate Cancer Awareness, presented by SunTrust Bank, East Tennessee, is a part of the national Prostate Awareness and Cancer Education (PACE) race series to increase national awareness of prostate cancer and men’s health issues. For more information about the PACE race series, visit www.pacerace.org.  

To support prostate cancer screenings and education, make a donation today.