Get Your Rear in Gear

On Sunday, August 20, the Colon Cancer Coalition is hosting the 19th annual Get Your Rear in Gear® 5K Run/Walk at Southdale Center in Edina, Minn.. Get Your Rear in Gear® − Twin Cities is a fun family-friendly event to raise money that will fight colorectal cancer right here in Minnesota. Survivors, patients, caregivers, runners, walkers, and volunteers gather for music, comradery, a giant inflatable colon, a timed 5K run and untimed walk, and the joy of a Kids’ Fun Run (most attendees enjoy taking the 5K course at a leisurely walk, but when the Kid’s Fun Run takes the mark all bets are off!).

The Minnesota Department of Health reports that 77% of age-eligible Minnesotans are up-to-date on colorectal cancer screening. The American Cancer Society, however, estimates that in 2023 2,430 Minnesotans will still be diagnosed and 830 may lose their life to this disease.

The Twin Cities is one of nearly 35 Get Your Rear in Gear® host cities across North America, including in the Bahamas, in 2023 that are looking to impact these statistics. In Minnesota the Colon Cancer Coalition works with local presenting sponsor MNGI Digestive Health to make an impact and provide colorectal cancer screenings to uninsured, low income patients, as well raise public awareness, and fund targeted research.

The cause is close to home for those in the Twin Cities; this is where the Colon Cancer Coalition was founded and the Get Your Rear in Gear event series began. In 2005, the first official “Get Your Rear in Gear” event started with over 1,200 participants. The volume of participants broke the Minnesota record for a first-time 5K event.

For Minnesotans 50 years or older the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer has decreased since 2006. At the same time, those rates have increased for adults between 20 and 49 years. It’s estimated that by the year 2030, colorectal cancer will be the number one cause of cancer-related deaths for adults under 50 in the United States. Join the movement to make an impact. Get Your Rear in Gear − Twin Cities registration, volunteer, and sponsorship information is available at ColonCancerCoalition.org/TwinCities.

COLON CANCER FACTS
• In 2021, the screening age for colorectal cancer was lowered to age 45.
• 1 in 24 Americans will be diagnosed with colon or rectal (colorectal) cancer during their lifetime.
• 51% of adults 50-54 have not been screened.
• Colonoscopy screening can prevent colorectal cancer, but there are many colorectal cancer screening options, including some that can be done at home.
• Colorectal cancer is currently the most common cause of cancer death in men younger than 50.
• 1 in 5 colorectal cancer patients are 20-54 years old.
• In 2021, the recommended age for routine cancer screenings was lowered from 50 to 45.