Arab News | Pink Eastern marathon closes out Breast Cancer Awareness Month with tinge of hope

DAMMAM: As the sun began to set over the Arabian Gulf on Friday, a sea of pink swept across Tharwah Corniche.

Around 8,000 participants wearing pink gilets and carrying 4,000 pink balloons gathered along the waterfront connecting Dammam and Alkhobar for the annual Pink Eastern Marathon, a community event marking the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Held under the slogan “For Her, Sharqiya Wears Pink,” the 1.5-kilometer walk — or jog — brought together families, healthcare professionals, cancer survivors and residents of all ages to promote early detection, healthy lifestyles and community support for those affected by breast cancer.

Organized by the Saudi Cancer Foundation with support from local partners including Almana Hospitals, the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, and the Eastern Walking Team, the event transformed part of the Eastern Province shoreline into a celebration of awareness and solidarity.

Along the walk’s route, visitors explored awareness booths, family activities and displays, while volunteers distributed refreshments as participants crossed the finish line and received commemorative medals.

For Dr. Hoor Mohammed Al-Saffar, a graduate of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University and a medical intern, the event represented an opportunity to take the message of early detection beyond clinics and hospitals.

“I’ve seen a lot of women with breast cancer, so this campaign is very important to encourage women to do the early screening, because it will protect them a lot,” she told Arab News.

Al-Saffar also highlighted “Ribbon of Hope,” a free Arabic-language application developed by university students under the supervision of doctors and breast cancer specialists, stressing that “all the information (on) there is reliable and evidence-based.”

She continued: “It encourages people, especially women, to go and join the screening program for early detection for breast cancer by doing the mammogram. The application will also give them an overview about the disease, about the risk factors, about any abnormalities in their breast or nipples, and explains that if they notice changes, they should go to the doctor for a diagnosis and to make sure everything is alright.”

Among the participants were the Boyle family, who moved to Alkhobar from London two years ago. Their daughter, Alina, first heard about the event through her gymnastics class and encouraged the family to take part.

For her father Tom, director at Al-Qadsiah Football Club, the day was about more than raising awareness.

“It is beautiful to see so many people from the community together, all different ages, all different genders and demographics, working together to raise awareness for what is a critical cause,” he said, adding that participating as a family was also an opportunity to help his children understand difficult realities in an age-appropriate way.

“They’re eight and 10 years old now, and not everything is sunshine and rainbows,” he said. “So it’s about making sure they’re aware of what might happen further down the line, to them, or people they’re associated with, and what can be done to try to address that and offset that.”

His wife, Marina, said the event combined awareness with an opportunity for families to connect.

“Today is an amazing event. It’s not only about fitness and breast cancer awareness, but also (about) socializing (with) families and friends. It is fantastic to make people get up, and walk, run, and be on their feet.”

Eight-year-old Alina said: “It is fun because there’s a lot of people, and there’s a lot of pink. And there’s a lot of doughnuts.”

But she also understood the event’s deeper purpose.

“It is a marathon for breast cancer, which is an illness that affects people’s lives. It is important for them to know about cancer because if they don’t know, they could just get it and not know.”

Her brother Oliver, 10, stressed that awareness is not only a women’s issue.

“It’s important for me to participate as a boy because I’m showing that I’m aware that cancer exists, and it’s deadly. And it doesn’t just affect women; it affects men and everyone, everywhere,” he said.

For Filipina healthcare worker Zainab Francisco, who has lived in Alkhobar for 18 years, the event felt as much like a community gathering as a health campaign.

“We took the opportunity to participate at this event to be part of the community; to meet new friends, and see old colleagues,” she said.

Francisco welcomed the event’s inclusive atmosphere, noting the presence of participants from different nationalities, age groups and physical abilities.

“I work in healthcare and this event takes me out of the hospital setting, but we are still raising awareness,” she said.

Her 7-year-old daughter, Najla Lamees Mohamed, was equally enthusiastic.

“We are here to walk for health and wear pink — it’s my favorite color,” she said.

As October draws to a close, participants said the campaign’s message should continue long after the pink balloons have disappeared.

“Awareness should not stop there. You can do the mammogram in November or another month. You can do it anytime you want,” Al-Saffar said. “Of course, it is going to be a stressful situation — like any other hospital visit. It’s going to be a scary place, I know. But detecting any disease early is always better.”