And they're off! Thousands of men (and boys) in Johannesburg start the 2017 Daredevil Run.
The madcap Hollard-sponsored event raises awareness of, and funds to fight, male cancers – testicular and prostate. Started as a dare in 2009, it has since grown into a much-loved and anticipated national event that unites men from all walks of life in the pursuit of better health outcomes.
This year’s run took place in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Nelspruit.
Among the throngs of banana hammock-clad men today, were cancer survivors, people running in solidarity with friends and loved ones who have the disease, and guys simply out in support of a fantastic cause. In addition to all the fun, CANSA provided free prostate cancer screening, an essential way to detect the disease early.
A Daredevil takes a free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, to detect whether or not he may have prostate cancer.
Fathers ran with their sons, groups of schoolboys participated, and colleagues from a variety of companies took up the challenge to run near-naked through the traffic. In Johannesburg one man was in a wheelchair, others pushed babies in prams, some toted a canoe, and there were all manner of costumes – from Vikings to a Mexican wrestler, and everything in between. Many of the runners were veteran Daredevils, proof of the event's enduring popularity.
While the point of the Daredevil Run – to get men to take better care of their health, and be aware of the cancers that affect them – remained as serious as ever, there was no doubt: the event was also as much fun, if not more so than ever.
Here is a selection of images telling the story of the Johannesburg run:
