Fred's Team Sets Historic $10 Million Fundraising Record for Cancer Research During Its 30th Season

NEW YORK, January 21, 2026 - Fred's Team, the official running program of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), proudly announces a new single-year fundraising record: raising over $10 million for cancer research at MSK in 2025. This milestone, achieved during the 30th anniversary season of Fred's Team, is a testament to the community and its enduring commitment to MSK's mission of ending cancer for life.

Since 1995, Fred's Team donors and participants have directed more than $130 million to MSK. 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to doctors and scientists at MSK, where groundbreaking discoveries are making a real difference for people around the world. The outstanding $10 million raised in 2025 will further accelerate groundbreaking research and clinical trials that lead to new and better treatments for people worldwide who are facing cancer.

"When Fred's Team was founded in 1995, cancer care looked very different. Immunotherapy and precision oncology were just starting to show promise," said Sarat Chandarlapaty, MD, PhD, a breast cancer specialist at MSK and Naddisy Foundation Chair in Breast Cancer Research. "We didn't have AI or diagnostic tools like MSK-IMPACT^®, which can find changes in more than 500 genes linked to cancer. Over the past 30 years, Fred's Team has helped create a new reality for people facing cancer. That's because every dollar [raised] goes directly to fund cancer research - supporting me and my colleagues at MSK as we tackle cancer's biggest questions and save lives."

Additional research and treatment advances supported by Fred's Team include:

• The development of novel chemotherapy regimens and stem cell transplantation that have significantly increased survival rates for children with leukemia. In the 1970s, the chance of surviving an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosis was under 10%. Today, the five-year survival rate for ALL, the most common type of pediatric leukemia, is nearly 90%.
• Research that led to a clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug dostarlimab (Jemperli®) as a first-line treatment for a rare subtype of rectal cancer. In a one-in-a-million outcome, every patient in the trial saw their cancer completely disappear without surgery, and they remain healthy several years later. These extraordinary results will change the standard of care for people with this type of cancer.
• Research that led to the 2024 FDA approval of vorasidenib (Voranigo®), the first targeted drug for low-grade gliomas with an IDH gene mutation. Gliomas are the most prevalent class of brain tumors among people under age 50, and this is the first new treatment option for low-grade gliomas in more than 20 years.

Fred's Team was named after New York City Marathon co-founder Fred Lebow, who underwent treatment for brain cancer at MSK in 1991. Today, participants put on their orange Fred's Team uniforms to honor themselves or their loved ones and make a difference beyond the finish line. Official Fred's Team events include the TCS New York City Marathon and United Airlines NYC Half - both produced by nonprofit New York Road Runners, TCS London Marathon, and BMW Berlin Marathon. Runners also take on 5Ks, half-marathons, marathons, triathlons, and other races around the world.

"Fred's Team represents everything New York Road Runners champions: community, purpose, and the belief that running can transform lives," said Christine Burke, Chief Commercial Officer of New York Road Runners. "As one of our cherished official charity partners, they continue to show how our events can help nonprofits raise vital funds while inspiring people to run for something bigger than themselves. Surpassing $10 million raised in a single season is an incredible testament to the power of this partnership and the impact it brings to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center."

The 2025 Fred's Team roster included over 1,200 runners and featured numerous MSK doctors, nurses, and staff, as well as current and former patients. Fred's Team continues to see rising fundraising totals across all events, demonstrating the community's growing commitment to supporting innovative research at MSK and imagining a world without cancer.