The DONNA Foundation Announces New Dates and Details for the 2022 DONNA Marathon Weekend

July 1, 2021

15th annual marathon weekend will take place February 4-6, 2022 in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach; registration to open on July 15

July 1, 2021 — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The DONNA Foundation today announced new details for 15th Anniversary of the National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer, including new host venues and a shift in dates to February 4-6, 2022.

While the race was conducted virtually in 2021, organizers anticipate an estimated 10% increase in runners for the marathon in 2022, due to increased demand for in-person race experiences and the event’s anniversary year. To accommodate that growth, the race weekend will include several new venue locations across Northeast Florida.

Organizers assessed all of the weekend’s logistical decisions with the capacity for growth in mind — both for 2022 and in future years.

“For 15 years, this race has brought together patients, caregivers, athletes, supporters and spectators from all over the world. Shifting our events up by one week and our selection of new host venues presents several logistical and tactical advantages,” said Amanda Napolitano, Executive Director of The DONNA Foundation. “This shift also aligns with our goal of sharing the power of this event with more parts of our community — from the skyline of Downtown, to the shores of Jacksonville Beach.”

The DONNA Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff also considered the impact of the NFL’s adjusted schedule, which would have resulted in the marathon taking place on the same day as Super Bowl LVI.

“When the NFL changed its schedule by adding another game to its 2021-2022 season, we realized that our event would overlap with the biggest annual event in professional sports,” said Donna Deegan, Founder of The DONNA Foundation. “Shifting our events up by one week will allow every organizer, participant and volunteer to fully focus on celebrating survivorship. And, with a little luck, we hope all of our neighbors in Northeast Florida will be cheering the Jaguars on to victory the following Sunday.”

Additional details for the 2022 Marathon include:

• New start and finish location for Sunday races: The 2022 Half Marathon and the 15th Anniversary of the National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer will begin and end at Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach.
• New expo location: The DONNA Marathon expo and 5K race will be held at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds in Downtown Jacksonville.
• Anniversary 15K Team Relay: In celebration of the 15^th Anniversary of the weekend, a new 3-person 15K team relay event will be introduced.
• Virtual race options: All race categories will have a virtual option so athletes may participate from anywhere and complete their distances over time.

In addition to being a Boston Qualifier, the DONNA Marathon has been selected by the Abbott World Marathon Majors as a qualifying race for the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Ranking program for 2022. Through this distinction, participants in the DONNA Marathon can compete to earn ranking points to be invited to the 2022 AbottWMM Wanda Age Group Championships.

The DONNA Marathon is a signature event in the 2022 Fearless Series. Other events include:

• THE PLAYERS DONNA 5K on Saturday, October 2, 2021, which will be held on the Back 9 of the PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass
• DONNA Mother’s Day 5K on Saturday, May 7, 2022, which will be held at the historic Friday Musicale in Riverside.

Registration for all Fearless Series events will open on July 15, 2021 at BreastCancerMarathon.com.

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About The DONNA Foundation:

The DONNA Foundation was established in June of 2003 by three-time breast cancer survivor and award-winning journalist Donna Deegan to meet the critical financial needs of the underserved living with breast cancer. Our mission is to provide financial assistance and support to individuals living with breast cancer and fund groundbreaking breast cancer research. To date, the DONNA Foundation has served more than 15,000 families, securing more than $550,000 in financial services and debt relief each year. The organization has also disbursed more than $3 million to develop and maintain the Mayo Clinic Translational Genomics Program. The organization also operates events and programs for survivorship, education and awareness. For more information, visit www.TheDONNAFoundation.org.