The St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend is the largest single-day fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, thanks to the efforts of St. Jude Heroes and those who donate to help St. Jude kids.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Unlike other hospitals, the majority of funding for St. Jude comes from generous donors. In fact, approximately 75 percent of the funds necessary to sustain and grow St. Jude comes from donors and fundraisers who are united in a common goal: Finding cures. Saving children®.
Cost to family: $0
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
Our goal: 100% survival
Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago.
Saving children everywhere
St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
Since 2002, nearly 250,000 St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend participants have raised more than $90 million for St. Jude
As a participant, you can become part of the legacy that's allowed St. Jude Heroes to help cover the cost of:
- acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment for nearly 100 patients
- bone marrow transplants for over 200 children
- 8,000 days in the ICU
- 4,000,000 meals for St. Jude patients
St. Jude patient Santiago, age 3, brain cancer, with his dad
What does being a St. Jude Hero mean to you? Tell us your fundraising story, and we may feature it to inspire other fundraisers.
All St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend participants are given the opportunity to fundraise. While fundraising is not required for general registrants, it's the best way to support the kids of St. Jude. We’ll give you everything you need — simply log in to your participant center after you register, and we’ll guide you from there.
We encourage all participants to meet their fundraising goal by race weekend, but Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum St. Jude Heroes have until December 16, 2022 to raise their committed amount.
Meet some of the kids of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
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Meet patient Jacob
Jacob had frequent headaches and wasn’t himself. Diagnosed with leukemia, he was referred to St. Jude for treatment including chemotherapy to try and save his life.
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Meet Lucas: Patient Video
When Lucas' family planned their trip to the United States from Chile, they never dreamed it would include a hospital stay for Lucas to begin cancer treatment.
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Meet Patient Mikayla
Over Christmas 2020, something was wrong with then one-year-old Mikayla. Referred to St. Jude, her cancer was identified as acute myeloid leukemia. Mikayla successfully underwent chemotherapy.
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Who You Help Calendar
Your support makes a big difference in the lives of patients and their families receiving treatment and care at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
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Meet Quincy
There are few things scarier than your child receiving a diagnosis of cancer, but that's the boat Karla and Quinton found themselves in. Now they're at St. Jude, and those fears are being cast aside and replaced with hope for a cure for their son, Quincy.
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Meet Ay'Den
Ay'Den is a kind boy with an easy smile. When he collapsed, his family was afraid he had COVID-19. Ay'Den would be diagnosed with leukemia and referred to St. Jude.