Why marathon fundraising matters
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®.
Runners like you are saving kids' lives
Since 2002, nearly 250,000 St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend participants have raised more than $100 million for St. Jude. Become a St. Jude Hero to join a nationwide alliance of runners against childhood cancer.
When you register as a St. Jude Hero with a committed fundraising level, you'll get:
· race entry
· St. Jude Heroes training shirt
· St. Jude merchandise credit
· interactive wristband for event weekend
· much more, depending on your commitment level
Learn More about being a St. Jude Hero Donate to a Participant
St. Jude Patient Katherine | Click here to see her story.
Start your St. Jude marathon fundraising today
All St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend participants are given the opportunity to fundraise. While fundraising is not required for general registrants for the St. Jude marathon, 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 19, 2025, to raise their committed amount. See steps below to get started:
1. Download the St. Jude Heroes App
Start your fundraising on the go with the St. Jude Heroes app. Update your page, send emails, deposit checks and check your progress — all from the palm of your hand.
2. Log In to Your Participant Center
The Participant Center is your St. Jude Heroes fundraising hub. Simply visit stjude.org/heroes and click “Log in to your fundraising center” to get started.
3. Personalize Your Fundraising Page
Add your photo, share why you became a St. Jude Hero and personalize your URL by clicking “Your Fundraising Page” on your dashboard. Then, click “Make your page easier to find.”
4. Start a Facebook Fundraiser
To link your Facebook fundraiser to your St. Jude Heroes page, use the step-by-step directions in the downloadable one sheeter.
How marathon fundraising helps
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.
When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
Every child deserves a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment. When you support St. Jude, you help give kids with cancer around the world that chance. Together, we can save more lives.
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Ask your friends & family to help you fill in the map, choosing a state they live in, or maybe even want to visit! Fill in the state whenever you receive a donation from your supporters in a new state. Share your progress on social media and invite others to join in on the fun! When your map is full, you’ll see the nationwide impact your donors are making on the St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children.®
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Ask your friends and family to help you hit BINGO by donating to claim a square! Mark off the dollar amount once you receive a donation from your supporters. Share your progress on social media or via text and invite others to join in on the fun!
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Ask your friends and family to sponsor a each day of the month with the corresponding dollar amount (example: $20 to support October 20th). Once someone claims a day with a donation, mark this off by adding their name or photo to that date on the calendar. Share your progress on social media and invite others to join in on the fun!
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Ask your friends and family to sponsor a mile with a donation! You can identify a specific amount, or ask for a general donation. Once someone claims a mile with a donation, mark this off by adding their name to that mile. Share your progress on social media or via text and invite others to join in on the fun!
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Don't forget to tag your donors and thank them - this celebrates each donation and helps to spread the word to encourage others to get involved!
When using social media to fundraise, add text that will resonate with your friends & family along with the graphic. Don’t forget to add “Link in first comment.” so people know where to find your link!
Your support of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend can help kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. If you choose to donate, you can support an individual runner or team. You can also make a general donation on behalf of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend.
Make a donation to support an individual Make a general donation supporting the event
What does being a St. Jude Hero mean to you? Tell us your fundraising story, and we may feature it to inspire other fundraisers.