Run for the Angels. Fight for the Cure.

Join Cincinnati’s West Side tradition to honor local heroes, remember our angels, and fund the research that will end pediatric brain cancer.

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Kuliga Park

6717 Bridgetown Road
Cincinnati, OH

November 7, 2026

5k starts at 9:00am | Fun walk starts at 9:15am

A Benefit For...

The Cure Starts Now

Pre-race packet pickup

November 4th & 5th
4:30pm - 7pm
St. Jude Undercroft | 5929 Bridgetown Road

Race Day Details

Every step you take on November 7th funds critical pediatric brain cancer research. Stick around after your race for food, live music, games, and community raffles.

8:00 AM

Pre-Race Packet Pick-Up Opens
Missed early pick-up? Grab your packet here!

9:00 AM

Timed 5K Run Starts

9:15 AM

Casual Fun Run/Walk Starts

Until Noon

Post-race celebration with food, live music, games, and community raffles.

See Race Map

Ready to make a difference?

Snag Your Spot!

Getting started is easy. Bringing your people with you is the fun part.

Register

Quick note: race registration and fundraising pages are separate, so make sure you complete both.

Step 1: Register

Step 2: Create your fundraising page

Your race registration and fundraising page are separate, so make sure you do both.

Step 3: Make it yours

Add a photo, set a goal, and tell people why you’re running.

Step 4: Share your page

Text it. Post it. Email it. Ask your people to jump in.

Step 5: Run, run, run

Then stick around for food, music, raffles, and a community that knows how to show up.

The story behind the run

Why We Fight

Sophie Meinhardt was a little girl who loved to move. She spent her 18 months of life full of joy, smiling into the wind from a jogging stroller while her dad ran. When a rare brain tumor took her from her family, her West Side neighbors refused to sit on the sidelines. They laced up their shoes to keep her memory alive.

Today, that local effort has evolved into a coalition of families who refuse to stop fighting until the cancers that took their kids are cured. Sophie is the reason we started, but every single child fighting this disease is the reason we refuse to quit. We are running for Sophie and the ten other brave heroes featured on this page. Because they deserved a future.

Every registration helps carry Sophie’s story forward and fund the research these kids deserve.

Register for the Run

Headquartered right here in Cincinnati, The Cure Starts Now was founded by Keith and Brooke Desserich after losing their six-year-old daughter, Elena, to DIPG. They started this movement on a bold premise: to defeat cancer, you have to strike it at its strongest point.

We deliberately fund research for the most aggressive pediatric brain cancers because they hold the code to the entire disease. By targeting the hardest cancers first, the breakthroughs we discover will unlock the key to ending all cancer. Your steps today directly fund the bold, outside-the-box research required to finally find the cure.

Fundraise

Run the Miles. Rally Your Crew.

Running on November 7th is just the first step. To truly move the needle against these aggressive brain tumors, we need to fund the research. Launching a fundraiser is the easiest way to invite the people in your life to stand with these local families. You log the miles, they back the mission, and together we fund the cure.

Quick note: Creating a fundraiser is a separate step from signing up for the race. Make sure you register for the 5K or Fun Walk so we can see you at the starting line!

Earn Sweet Rewards Along the Way

The Cure Starts Now Baseball Cap

Raise $100

The Cure Starts Now Backpack

Raise $250

The Cure Starts Now Umbrella

Raise $500

Raising over $2,500? Our team will reach out directly to coordinate your custom incentive options!

Start My Fundraiser

The reason we run

Meet Our Angels & Warriors

Every name on this page represents a child, a family, and a reason this community keeps showing up.

Sophie M.

Diagnosis: ATRT

Read about Sophie

She never stopped moving during her 18 months on earth and absolutely loved riding in the jogging stroller with her big sister while her daddy ran.

Cece S.

Diagnosis: DIPG

Read about Cece

A proud oldest sister, animal lover, and aspiring artist who loved painting, swimming, and playing golf with her dad.

Jack S.

Diagnosis: Medulloblastoma

Read about Jack

A gentle, deeply empathetic 9-year-old who loved telling jokes, making people laugh, and the crescent moon. He would jokingly say, “Hey look, God’s toenail clipping!” every time he saw one.

Wyatt T.

Diagnosis: Ependymoma

Read about Wyatt

A kid who belongs on the field. He crushed a major milestone this year by playing in his very first baseball game, and even with routine hospital checkups, he is enjoying just being a kid.

Elena D.

Diagnosis: DIPG

Read about Elena

A brilliant six-year-old girl who loved her little sister fiercely and showed an entire community how to live every single day with love and humility.

Lauren H.

Diagnosis: DIPG

Read about Lauren

An unstoppable Mount St. Joseph basketball player whose bold voice and “Never Give Up” attitude sparked a global movement that has raised over $2.5 million.

Erin G.

Diagnosis: DIPG

Read about Erin

A spunky, fiercely loyal Miami University student who lived life completely “Fearless,” loving to drive with the windows down and the radio up.

Sarah N.

Diagnosis: DIPG

Read about Sarah

A caring, courageous Girl Scout who taught everyone to face obstacles with a smile, speak their mind, and keep moving forward no matter what.

Reese B.

Diagnosis: Glioblastoma Stage IV

Read about Reese

A sweet, incredibly strong girl who completely lit up every room she entered and brought endless joy to the family who loved her.

Wyatt R.

Diagnosis: Ependymoma

Read about Wyatt

A sweet, brave cowboy who takes his job as a big brother very seriously and dreams of becoming a future farmer and firefighter.

Drew S.

Diagnosis: Diffuse Low Grade Glioma

Read about Drew

A smart and silly 19 month old who loves Blippi and playing with his older brothers.

Sean

Donate

Back the families from wherever you are.

If you can’t make it to Kuliga Park on November 7th, you can still join the fight and fund the one thing every kid with brain cancer wishes for: a cure.

100% of your donation goes directly to brain cancer research that could help end this fight for all kids.

Give Now

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the registration costs and deadlines?

Timed 5K: Adult ($35) | Youth ($25) | Family Plan up to 6 ($99)

Fun Walk: Adult ($25) | Youth ($15) | Family Plan up to 8 ($70)

Virtual Option: $30 for supporters joining us from afar!

Where do I park on race day?

Main parking is available directly at Kuliga Park. Overflow parking is located right down the road at Faith Fellowship Church.

Does creating a fundraising page register me for the race?

No. Creating a fundraising page and registering for the 5K/Walk are two separate steps. To walk or run on race day, please make sure you buy a race ticket!

How do I collect my fundraising prizes?

All fundraising incentives must be picked up at the merchandise tent on race day, unless you have registered as a virtual participant. Virtual participant prizes will be shipped.