Durban - Chaps all over South Africa donned purple Speedos in their thousands yesterday, covering the areas of their bodies where the most common cancer affecting males between the ages of 15 and 35, strikes.
Their goal: to increase prostate and testicular cancer awareness.
Locally, groups of runners made their way on 5km routes through Westville, Glenwood, Durban North, Ballito, uMhlanga and La Mercy.
Elsewhere, about 3 000 men ran around Johannesburg’s Zoo Lake in the Hollard Daredevil Run, with more joining in in other cities.
“Running in just a Speedo is something that asks a lot of men, more than most people understand. But dealing with cancer asks a great deal more. And that’s part of why this platform works so well in helping people understand the importance of catching these cancers early,” said Hollard’s Warwick Bloom.
Proceeds will go to the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer affecting males between the ages of 15 and 35, the organisers said in a press release.
“Prostate cancer affects as many as one in six men and is predicted to become the most common cancer in South Africa by 2030,” it said.
“Perhaps more alarming is the fact that black African men have a 60% higher risk of developing prostate cancer than their white counterparts.
“Early detection, however, dramatically increases the odds of fully recovering from these cancers and can save lives.”
The Independent on Saturday