A Mayo woman has been selected as ambassador for this year's Very Pink Run by Breast Cancer Ireland.

Anne Hopkins from Mayo is looking forward to the occasion. She has a three-year-journey behind her: 

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of May 2020. It was a very frightening time," Anne remembers.

"It is coming up on 3 years since I started this journey and thankfully the scans over the last year have been showing a marked reduction. I feel positive and make a conscious effort to eat healthily, including a lot of “cancer fighting “foods in my diet."

Anne says, she is so grateful for all the fundraising efforts from her own children and friends and all who promote breast cancer awareness.

"Without all the progress with research, my story like so many others would be very different."

Like so many cancer patients, Anne will always be living with cancer, but with time, she has come to accept this.

"Now I am just happy to store all the memories I get to make with all my family and friends and count every day as another day to enjoy life to the fullest."

KEY FACTS ABOUT BREAST CANCER

• 1 in 7 women will develop breast cancer in the course of their lifetime
• 1 in 738 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer
• Every 29 seconds someone in the world is diagnosed with breast cancer
• We have 3,700 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Ireland each year
• 23% of women are diagnosed between the ages of 20-50 years
• 34% of women are diagnosed between the ages of 50-69 years
• 36% of women are diagnosed over the age of 70 years
• Only 5%-10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary.

VERY PINK RUN line-up

From Startline…to Lifeline…a host of stars line up to support this year’s Very Pink Run, raising crucial funds for breast cancer research and improved patient outcomes.

The countdown is on as Breast Cancer Ireland officially launches the 2025 Very Pink Run, proudly supported once again by Very, Ireland’s leading online retailer.

Back for another year of pink-powered fundraising, this unique and family focussed, festival style event, will see large scale live events take place across Dublin, Cork and Kilkenny between 6th and 14th September – all in support of ground breaking breast cancer research and nationwide awareness and education programmes.

Since its inception, the Very Pink Run has grown into a truly global movement, with over 97,000 participants across 40 countries, raising a phenomenal €7.3 million to date. This year, the pink wave is set to sweep across Dublin on 6th Sept, Cork on 7th Sept & Kilkenny on 14th Sept, with thousands more expected to lace up for one (or more!) of the events.

A large group of very well-known faces from the worlds of Media, the Arts, and Showbiz have already joined this year’s ‘Very Pink Tribe’ including author and breast cancer survivor Nicola Hanney, Dancing with the Stars winner and pro-dancer Laura Nolan, 98FM Presenter and performer Paul Ryder, Newstalk Presenter Andrea Gilligan, FM104’s Thomas Crosse and Zeinab Elguzouli, Virgin Media’s Elaine Crowley, and presenter Kamal Ibrahim, alongside longstanding Ambassadors Shane Byrne and presenter James Patrice. Also lending their wholehearted support to the cause are Councillor Emma Blain, Lorraine Keane, Charlene Flanagan (Founder of Ella & Jo brand) and Chris Connolly, of Get Better with Chris fame, along with well-known Corkonians Dr Monica Oikeh, and fitness guru Lesley Giltinan aka Lean with Lesley.

These Very Pink Run Ambassadors will help rally thousands of supporters across Ireland and abroad to show up, step out, and support the cause — demonstrating that every step taken is a stride towards a future where breast cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease for the 1 in 7 women and 1 in 738 men diagnosed with this disease in their lifetime.

Participants can take part by running, jogging or walking, in one of three live large-scale physical events. Alternatively, people can also take part in a ‘virtual’ sense in their own local communities any time between 6th-14th September inclusively.

The Breast Cancer Ireland Very Pink Run events are a fun filled, family focussed and inclusive day out, where everyone is welcome, with no upper or lower age limits.

The live events are aimed at casual strollers, keen walkers, joggers and seasoned runners alike, over a 5k or 10k distance, and are open to families, friends and solo participants.

They offer a fun, family festival style outing with music, games and children’s entertainment.

Registrations for the event are now open on www.verypinkrun.ie.

Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland speaking at the launch said “We’re hugely excited to bring the Very Pink Run back again for 2025.

This event simply keeps growing year on year, as does our Pink Tribe of supporters! Each and every participant is playing a role in helping us to move the dial on research, awareness, novel treatments and therapies – and ultimately – survival of the 3700 people diagnosed in Ireland each year.

I strongly believe that research and awareness are what will lead to zero deaths from breast cancer. Secondly, I believe that people’s kindness is what will help us to realise that dream sooner rather than later.

The reality is, the miracle of modern research doesn’t even get near a lab until heartfelt traditional generosity opens the door.

A breast cancer diagnosis doesn’t bear thinking about, but in truth, here in Breast Cancer Ireland, it’s ALL we think about. We need to to make sure we’re supercharging the right research and increasing the research output.”

Aisling continued “The crucial and ongoing support of our title sponsor Very, and our silver tier sponsors at Glanbia, Cornmarket, and Joe Duffy Group allows us to make every cent raised count. Every pink t-shirt worn, every step taken, brings us one step closer to our goal of making this illness a treatable illness for all , and to powering a future entirely free from breast cancer.”