They rode, ran, walked, and spun with one goal in mind: to fight cancer. More than 3,000 people gathered at UC San Diego for the 2025 Curebound Cancer Challenge, generating $4 million to push life-saving research forward.
The Challenge wasn’t just about the miles logged—it was about the community behind them. Cancer patients, survivors, families, and researchers stood side by side, united by a single goal: to help find cures in our lifetimes.
Funds raised from the August event, combined with donor support and other Curebound efforts like last May’s Elton John concert at Petco Park, have helped the organization provide more than $43 million in funding since its founding. That money has supported 143 study grants across 23 different types of cancer. This year, Curebound plans to invest another $8 to $10 million in early-stage research.
Still, the need far outweighs available resources “There are effective cancer therapies available today that didn’t exist a year ago—real breakthroughs that are saving lives right now,” said Curebound Chief Science Advisor Ezra Cohen, MD. “Just imagine where we could be a year from now, or five years from now, if we continue to invest in promising early-stage studies with the potential to change the future of cancer treatment. But with federal funding cuts and dozens of vital studies at risk of stalling, we can’t afford to rest. We must act boldly, supporting high-risk, high-reward research led by the brightest scientific minds to bring the next generation of life-saving discoveries to patients.”
Curebound’s funding strategy has helped spark groundbreaking studies, patents, clinical trials, and partnerships, establishing San Diego as one of the nation’s most dynamic cancer research hubs. The six institutions benefiting from Challenge funds are UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, the Salk Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys, the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, Rady Children’s Health, and Scripps Research, according to a news release.
The August event drew strong support from local corporations and institutions including Edward Jones San Diego, UC San Diego, Janux Therapeutics, Vividion Therapeutics, JP Morgan, Lusardi Construction, Pfizer, Resmed, Thermo Fisher Scientific, BD, CBRE, Dexcom, Illumina, Genentech, Ranch & Coast, San Diego Self Storage, Koman Family Foundation, Maravai Life Sciences, WE O’Neil Construction, and Bernstein Private Wealth Management.
Anne Marbarger, CEO of Curebound, said the turnout shows the power of San Diego’s community. “The remarkable show of support from the San Diego community at Curebound’s Cancer Challenge will continue to fuel the groundbreaking work being done right here in our region,” she said. “Every dollar raised drives innovative research and moves us closer to a world without cancer.”
For more information about Curebound or the 2026 Cancer Challenge, visit here.
