Roparun raises 4.3 million for people with cancer

Participants of the annual Roparun raised over 4.3 million euros for charity last month. The money goes to organizations that "make the lives of people with cancer more bearable". The organizers of the sponsored run announced the final sum on Saturday evening at a party in De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam.

The amount is almost 600,000 euros higher than the last edition. "This final amount not only shows that our participants put in a fantastic performance but also that we in the Netherlands still look out for each other, don't let each other down, and, above all, are prepared to give for each other," concluded director Lesly Wolters.

The Roparun has now been held 33 times. It was the first time since 2019 that participants could start in France again, which has not been feasible in recent years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Groups also started at Twenthe Airport near Enschede.

As usual, festivities were organized in many places along the way. The teams consisted of a maximum of eight runners and various supporters. In three days, the runners covered more than 500 kilometers from France. At the last edition, participants could choose between a start in Clastres, France, and a start in Enschede. More than 5,000 people took part.

The event originated in 1991 as a bet that got out of hand between Sjaak Bril and Peter van der Noord to run from Rotterdam to Paris (Ro-Pa-Run). Later the route was reversed and a second and even third route was added. Only a few teams participated in the first edition in 1992. Today there are hundreds of teams with thousands of participants, raising millions of euros for charity in the fight against cancer, according to the organization.