Eurospin Verona Run Marathon corre con Walce

Eurospin Verona Run Marathon for social good with the "AMAti – Adapted Physical Activity for Lung Cancer Patients" project.

The "Exit the tunnel, don't burn your future." program will be active during race days.

Sunday, November 16 marks the start of the Eurospin Verona Run Marathon 42K | 21K and Family Run.

VERONA – The "AMAti – Adapted Physical Activity for Lung Cancer Patients" project by Women Against Lung Cancer in Europe (WALCE) was presented today at the Sala Arazzi of Palazzo Barbieri in Verona. This project will take place during the Eurospin Verona Run Marathon 42K | 21K and Family Run on Sunday, November 16.

The running event is organized by the sports association G.a.a.c. 2007 Veronamarathon A.S.D., with the patronage of the City of Verona and in collaboration with Città Sane. It's included in the World Athletics and AIMS calendars and is also recognized by the Italian Athletics Federation.

This sporting event coincides with the National Congress of AIPO-ITS/ETS (Italian Association of Hospital Pulmonologists), scheduled in Verona from November 14 to 16, 2025. Within this congress, the educational program "Exit the tunnel, don't burn your future" will be featured. This provides an excellent opportunity to raise public awareness about lung cancer pathologies, how to prevent them, and how to improve the quality of life for patients undergoing therapy.

Eurospin Verona Family Run Registrations Now Open!

While over 3,000 people have already signed up for the competitive marathon and half marathon, today marks the opening of registrations for the Eurospin Verona Run Marathon Family Run. This event, also held on Sunday, November 16, is expected to attract thousands of participants. People of all ages can join, from children to adults and entire families. You're free to run or walk, as participation signifies a lifestyle of wellness, community, and fun, and, thanks to the WALCE project, also raises awareness for important issues.

Who is WALCE A.P.S.?

WALCE A.P.S. (Women Against Lung Cancer in Europe) is the leading Italian association in the fight against thoracic cancers. Founded in 2006 and currently presided over by Professor Silvia Novello, who also coordinates the Association's Scientific Committee, WALCE A.P.S. includes patients, family members, and clinicians among its members, representing about a thousand people across Italy.

Its main objectives are to raise public awareness about the increasing incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer, and to gather and respond to the needs of those affected by this disease and their families. This is crucial because, until just a few years ago, those diagnosed had few therapeutic options and limited chances of long-term survival with a good quality of life. WALCE's commitment is directed towards patients and families, clinicians, institutions, the general public, and schools, with the aim of informing, raising awareness, promoting prevention, providing care, and supporting patients, making their "voices heard" to ensure their needs are recognized.

The "AMAti" Project– Adapted Physical Activity for Lung Cancer Patients

Among WALCE's many projects, the Eurospin Verona Run Marathon has embraced "AMAti – Adapted Physical Activity for Lung Cancer Patients." This project, launched in 2022 and currently active in Turin, Milan, Monza, Florence, and Bari, aims to improve fatigue, cardiorespiratory capacity, and pulmonary function, increase strength and mobility, enhance psychological well-being, and reduce anxiety. It does so through quarterly courses led by specialized kinesiologists with master's degrees in oncology. The project stems from scientific studies that have shown how physical exercise can mitigate and/or prevent many disorders related to therapies and reduce the risk of developing comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular and/or metabolic diseases, and cancer-related mortality.

Exit the Tunnel, Don't Burn Your Future

On the occasion of the Eurospin Verona Run Marathon on Sunday, November 16, WALCE will bring "Esci dal tunnel, non bruciarti il futuro" (Exit the Tunnel, Don't Burn Your Future) to Verona. This is a national traveling public awareness program about the dangers of smoking, active since 2015 in major Italian and European cities. The program features a large stand shaped like a cigarette butt, inside which a multimedia pathway is built, divided into various sections. Within this stand, free counseling and basic spirometry are offered to the public. To date, 15 Italian stops and 2 European stops (Barcelona and Brussels) have been completed, with approximately 18,000 participants and a total of 4,670 spirometries performed. In 2025, stops are planned in Pescara, Catanzaro, Taranto, Messina, Rome, Olbia, Genoa, Monza, and Verona, with the latter coinciding with the national AIPO (Italian Association of Hospital Pulmonologists) Congress.

Speakers Included:

Annamaria Molino, Verona City Council Member: "As an oncologist and city councilor responsible for Verona's projects as part of the WHO's Healthy Cities Network, I firmly believe that health and prevention are fundamental rights. I emphasize the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles, early diagnoses, and research. The promoted march represents a concrete opportunity to unite sport, solidarity, and awareness concerning lung cancer. From this perspective, the AMA – Adapted Physical Activity – project is invaluable support for improving the quality of life for people with lung cancer, valuing movement as an integral part of the treatment journey. This initiative puts women at the center, who are too often underestimated when it comes to lung cancer. It's time to shine a light on a growing reality, to inform, support, and give hope."

Silvia Novello, Full Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Turin and President of WALCE A.P.S.: "For almost 20 years, WALCE has been designing and promoting awareness programs regarding lung cancer and cancer prevention. This collaboration with Veronamarathon A.S.D. is therefore very much in our wheelhouse, as it will allow us once again to talk about this pathology to the general population, patients, and their families. For the first time, we are doing so in the context of a highly resonant sporting event. November is dedicated to lung cancer awareness, making this event even more valuable. We are breaking the silence and stigma that too often surround this disease, promoting awareness and information, and by doing so during a sporting event, we emphasize how primary prevention and healthy lifestyles are the most effective tools in the fight against cancer. WALCE A.P.S. was founded in 2006 precisely to meet the need for information, prevention, and support. Over the years, we have carried out many projects, including "Esci dal Tunnel – Non bruciarti il futuro", aimed at young people and adults to promote healthy lifestyles, and 'AMAti,' active since 2022 in various Italian cities to improve the quality of life for people with lung cancer through physical exercise. Participation in the Eurospin Verona Family Run takes on a value that goes far beyond sport: it is a collective message of health, inclusion, and awareness, uniting citizens, patients, institutions, and the scientific community in the common fight against lung cancer."

Sara Pilotto, Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, Department of Engineering for Innovation in Medicine (DIMI) and Board Member of WALCE A.P.S.: "Physical activity is no longer just a tool for prevention; today, it is a true therapeutic resource for anyone facing an oncological diagnosis. Numerous scientific pieces of evidence demonstrate that regular physical exercise reduces the risk of developing certain cancers – including lung cancer – improves quality of life, enhances the effectiveness and tolerability of treatments, and helps reduce the risk of recurrence. In Verona, this innovative approach has been a reality since 2019, thanks to the collaboration between the AOUI Oncology Department, directed by Professor Michele Milella, and the Department of Motor Sciences at the University of Verona, led by Professor Federico Schena. Every week, over 80 oncology patients participate in structured and personalized physical exercise programs. In parallel, we carry out numerous research projects to strengthen the supporting scientific evidence. Thanks to WALCE, this model has been extended to other Italian regions precisely through the AMAti project. This year, thanks to the valuable synergy between Veronamarathon Asd and WALCE, sport, health, and research meet in a unique weekend, designed to raise awareness and involve the entire community. It's a symbolic and concrete moment, which also coincides with the National AIPO Congress, to strongly affirm that movement is part of care, even in oncology."

Claudio Micheletto, President of AIPO-ITS/ETS: "I firmly believe that Pulmonology must make its voice heard on the front of prevention, and not just on the acute phase and exacerbation. Good prevention includes lifestyle, nutrition, and vaccination, but respiratory diseases are also affected by air pollution, climatic conditions, and especially cigarette smoking, which remains the primary risk factor for our respiratory health. The XXVI National Congress of Pulmonology – XLVIII AIPO-ITS/ETS, scheduled in Verona from November 14 to 16, 2025 (all info here: https://pneumologia2025.it/), will address the main respiratory pathologies from a diagnostic, clinical, and therapeutic perspective, which cause over 6.4 million deaths worldwide every year. It will also have significant repercussions on the city. In fact, through the active participation of our pulmonologists, we will support WALCE's 'cigarette butt' initiative, and we will organize extensive tree planting in a city area in collaboration with Legambiente Verona. While clinical innovations will be debated at Veronafiere, we want Pulmonology and its demands to leave a living and vital mark on the city, with a series of initiatives dedicated to respiratory health, just like the Verona Marathon."

The organizers of Gaac 2007 Veronamarathon Asd stated: "We are enthusiastic to promote such an important project, whose objectives align with the lifestyle of athletes for whom physical activity is a tool for psycho-physical and social well-being. With over 10,000 expected participants, we will have a broad audience of people from all over Italy, but also from many countries around the world, and of all ages, allowing for a widespread diffusion of the message of prevention but also of not giving up on illness and finding in sport an ally to improve one's psycho-physical condition. On race days, a tunnel shaped like a cigarette butt will be set up where information can be received and spirometry can be performed. We invite all participants in the Eurospin Verona Run Marathon 42K/21K and Family Run, as well as their companions, Verona citizens, and tourists, to take the opportunity to reflect on these delicate issues."

Registrations

Online registrations are open until 11:59 PM on November 11, 2025.

Subject to bib availability, it will also be possible to register on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15 at the EXPO area (AGSM FORUM - Piazzale Atleti Azzurri D'Italia). No registrations will be taken on Sunday, November 16.