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The Philadelphia Marathon draws thousands of participants every year. While the race is a testament to athletic endurance, it also serves as an important platform for charitable organizations that are working to make a difference. The Emily Whitehead Foundation has proudly participated in the Philadelphia Marathon as a charity partner since 2015, and each year, we eagerly anticipate running for a cure through the city where Emily received her CAR T-cell therapy.

We are continually inspired by the commitment and dedication shown by our team of runners and volunteers, who are driven by our mission to create a better world for patients and their caregivers affected by childhood diseases and all patients who can be treated with advanced therapies.

We were fortunate this year to have nearly perfect running conditions. It was a sunny day for a marathon, and the Foundation had 26 runners participate in a full marathon, half marathon, and an 8K. One runner even participated virtually from Tennessee.

We were especially honored to have Philipsburg cancer warrior CJ Coudriet participate in the 8K race with us this year. Just one year ago, CJ was undergoing treatment and cheering on the sidelines, making his participation this year an inspiring, full-circle moment.

In 2023, CJ was in the middle of treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for Rhabdomyosarcoma. He was in a wheelchair and in pain from his ongoing cancer treatments, but his mom and grandma pushed him from the Ronald McDonald house, where they were staying, to the marathon course to cheer on the Foundation team.

This past spring, CJ completed his treatment and felt strong enough to run the race this year! He was also the highest fundraiser on the team, raising over $2,000. The Monday after the marathon weekend, CJ received clear scans and rang the cancer-free bell!

“I’m speechless!” CJ said after the race. “Last year at this time, I was in the thick of treatment. I couldn’t walk. I didn’t know if I would wake up the next morning. What a difference a year makes.

“At this time last year, we wheeled me down to the race in a wheelchair to watch Jodie Potter and Manna run for the Emily Whitehead Foundation. Now look what just happened, I just took on the 8K with no training. I don’t care about the medals, and I don’t care about bragging rights. What I do care about is raising money to donate to the Emily Whitehead Foundation. Giving back is what I’ve always wanted to do, no matter what it takes.”

Thank you to our amazing runners and donors who together raised $16,000 for the Foundation! Since the start of our participation in the Philadelphia Marathon, our race teams have raised almost $210,000. We are so grateful for this support to Activate the Cure and work toward a cancer-free future. Congratulations to all the runners on their wonderful accomplishment. We hope to see you at next year’s race!

To join our 2025 team, contact Jodie Potter at jodiepotter@emilywhiteheadfoundation.org.

 

Images of CJ Coudriet in 2023 (right) and 2024 (left).