Endurance Events

Riki & Meital Wiederhorn: Racing to Stop Lung Cancer Together

Riki and Meital of Westport, Connecticut, participated in their first half marathon in memory of their friend Nancy Cohen, who passed away from lung cancer and was a passionate lung cancer advocate through LUNGevity. Although the mother-daughter duo were not previously runners, their decision to participate in an endurance event was inspired by the many hours and miles Riki and Nancy spent walking together. 

The Tel Aviv Half-Marathon held significance for the pair as it fell on Nancy’s birthday and marked the first time Riki could visit Meital in Israel. By signing up with the Bring Your Own Bib (B.Y.O.B.) program, they were able to represent LUNGevity at the race and exceeded their fundraising goal several times over to help stop lung cancer!

Read more about Riki and Meital’s story.

Randi Young: Professional Competitor and Lung Cancer Survivor

Randi Young of South Fork, Colorado, began running at age 31 and eventually turned her passion into a career as an ultramarathoner in the 1980s and 1990s. She returned to racing in 2016 and has since completed two marathons, several 50- and 25-mile races, 50Ks, and the Imogene Pass Run three times.   

Randi received a concurrent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and lung cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2021. Following a lobectomy, her “outdoor adventure time” was greatly curtailed. But Randi credits her sanity to her connection to the outdoors. Upon recovering from treatments for both cancers, she completed her goal of running in the 11-miler at the Big Sur International Marathon, a race that she had placed 4th in while competing in 1987.  

Randi says, “It all comes down to listening to your body. Running, or jogging in my case, as part of Team LUNGevity is so much more than the event itself.”

Read more about Randi’s story here. 

Sara Vargo: Raising Crucial Funding & Awareness

In May 2016, Sara’s mom was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma lung cancer. She was a nurse, an educator, and a nonsmoker.

As an avid runner, Sara decided to use her lungs as a platform to get the word out about lung cancer. She plans to fight the stigma that it only happens to smokers – anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. 

Sara, from Alexandria, Virginia, has conquered several races both locally and across the country, including the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the Navy-Air Force Half Marathon, the Louisville Urban Bourbon Half Marathon, and the Marine Corps Marathon for LUNGevity. Sara’s determination and passion serve as an inspiration to many! 

Maggie and Jack Rogers: Finishing their Father’s Race

In 2012, Jack Rogers, Sr., trained for the TCS New York City Marathon while undergoing treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, but because of Superstorm Sandy, it was canceled for the first time in the race’s history. Sadly, Jack passed away a few weeks after the race date. Ten years later, his children, Maggie and Jack, Jr., dedicated themselves to training for the race their father never got to finish. Maggie in Boston and Jack, Jr., in Brooklyn trained their hearts out and took on the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon with LUNGevity. This event marked their first marathon, inspired by their father's commitment to LUNGevity and the recent diagnoses of family friends.

When asked what running in her father’s memory meant to her, Maggie shared this sentiment: “It is tough to put into words. You never forget about the people you lose. Every day when I put on my running shoes, I think of my dad.” Through rigorous training and fundraising, they didn’t just run to remember their father, but to also contribute to the advances in lung cancer research and patient care to help transform what it means to live with lung cancer.  

Read more about the Rogerses’ story here.

Sharon Schneider: Running Her First Marathon Post-Diagnosis

Sharon Schneider of Dallas, Texas, discovered her passion for running in 2010. Before her diagnosis with a rare form of ALK-positive lung cancer in 2017, Sharon had taken part in seven half-marathons and several 15Ks and 5Ks. Due to treatments and concerns about blood clots found in her brain, Sharon’s running was put on hold. However, at the age of 50, Sharon set a goal to complete her first marathon. In June 2022, she crossed the finish line of Grandma’s Marathon together with her husband. Sharon said, “Training for this goal has really given me my life back.”

Read more about Sharon’s story here. 

Marie Bahno: Inspiring Others by Racing with Lung Cancer

Diagnosed with stage I lung cancer in 2020, Marie Bahno continues to defy the odds. A retired nurse and avid runner from Berlin, Maryland, she maintains her active lifestyle despite having 25% of her lung capacity removed, proving her resiliency. Marie turned adversity into triumph, completing a Half Ironman and the Marine Corps Marathon post-diagnosis.

In October 2023, Marie raced to stop lung cancer as a member of Team LUNGevity powered by Daiichi Sankyo at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Her story serves as a testament that lung cancer is not just a smoker’s disease and a diagnosis doesn't signify an end. Marie shares her story to encourage and inspire others diagnosed with lung cancer to never give up. shoot for the stars, and live life to the fullest.

Read more about Marie’s story here.