Charity regatta: Rowing against cancer on September 13 in Heidelberg

Cast off for a good cause: on September 13, 2025, the starting signal will be given for the 14th edition of the charity regatta Rowing Against Cancer on the Neckar in Heidelberg. The Living with Cancer Foundation, the Rowing Society Heidelberg 1898 e.V. (RGH) and the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg are jointly organizing the sporting event. The proceeds will go towards the Exercise and Cancer Patient Program at the NCT Heidelberg.

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD), the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg.

Anyone who enjoys exercise and team spirit can take part in Rowing Against Cancer - experienced and novice rowers, patients, relatives or nursing and medical staff. The RGH offers three preparatory training sessions for beginners. The participation fee is 400 euros per boat. Registrations are possible until July 31, 2025 at: https://rudern-gegen-krebs.de/regatta/2025/heidelberg

The races start at 8 am with gig double fours, accompanied by experienced helmsmen from the RGH. The course runs about 300 meters downstream from the Theodor Heuss Bridge.

Away from the races, guests can look forward to a varied program on the Neckarwiese: live music, dancing, interviews and activities for children - from bouncy castles to handicrafts and face painting. In the regatta village, organizations such as the OnkoAktiv association, the cancer information service and the pilot service and patient advisory board of the NCT Heidelberg will provide information about sport and living with cancer.

Thomas Bellut, Chairman of the Board of the Living with Cancer Foundation, says: "The regatta combines sporting commitment with a strong sign of solidarity. It encourages and creates community." The foundation supports sports projects for people with cancer throughout Germany and also supports research and education.

The proceeds from the regatta in Heidelberg will be used for the Exercise and Cancer program at the NCT Heidelberg, in which around 800 patients take part every year. Dirk Jäger, Managing Director at the NCT Heidelberg and Head of the Clinic for Medical Oncology at the UKHD, says: "Physical activity has a similar effect to a drug. It can alleviate the side effects of therapy, reduce the risk of relapse and significantly improve quality of life."

Facts and figures:

Rowing against cancer: 14th charity regatta on the Neckar in Heidelberg
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 8 a.m.
Registration: rudern-gegen-krebs.de/regatta/2025/heidelberg/
Registration as a team of four. Registrations will be considered in the order in which they are received.
Registration deadline: July 31, 2025
Organizer: Foundation Living with Cancer
Coordinator: National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
Organizer: Rowing Society Heidelberg 1898 e.V. (RGH)
Contact person: Sönke Hartung-Rey, Tel.: 06221-3219246, s.hartung-rey@rgh-heidelberg.de
Venue: Neckar and Neckarwiese, Neuenheim, Heidelberg
Race course: 300 meters
Boat class: Gig double four with helmsmen
Participants/teams: Various classes for women, men and mixed, patients, participants with rowing experience
Competition format: Preliminary and hopeful heats, final
Entry fee/donation: 400 euros
Bank account: Living with Cancer Foundation, IBAN DE49 5107 0021 0014 3001 06, Deutsche Bank Wiesbaden
Contributors to the accompanying program and in the regatta village:Netzwerk OnkoAktiv, Stiftung Leben mit Krebs, Krebsinformationsdienst des DKFZ, Heidelberger Krebsselbsthilfegruppen, Mamazone, Patientenbeirat und Lotsendienst des NCT Heidelberg, Li-Fraumeni Syndrom LFSA Deutschland e.V., Ein Kiwi gegen Krebs, Bündnis Familie, Heidelberger Stammzellregister, Zentrum Aktiver Prävention, TSG Hoffenheim, Netzwerk AktiveOnkoKids (NAOK), MSD, Energiewagen der Stadtwerke Heidelberg, Techniker Krankenkasse
Patrons: Eckart Würzner (Mayor of the City of Heidelberg) and Manfred Lautenschläger (founder of MLP AG)

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Contact for the press:
Dr. Martin Staiger
National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
Communication and Events
Im Neuenheimer Feld 460
69120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 56-311272
E-mail: martin.staiger(at)nct-heidelberg.de
www.nct-heidelberg.de

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD), the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. The aim of the NCT Heidelberg is to transfer promising approaches from cancer research into clinical practice as quickly as possible, and thus to benefit patients. This applies to both diagnosis and treatment, in aftercare or prevention. Participation in clinical studies opens up access to innovative therapies. The NCT Heidelberg is thus a leader in transferring new research results from the laboratory to the clinic The NCT Heidelberg, founded in 2004, is part of the NCT with further locations in Berlin, Dresden, SouthWest (Tübingen-Stuttgart/Ulm), WERA (Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg, Augsburg) and West (Essen/Cologne).

German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.

To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:

National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT, 6 sites)
German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, 8 sites)
Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ) Heidelberg
Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON Mainz) - A Helmholtz Institute of the DKFZ
DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim
National Cancer Prevention Center (jointly with German Cancer Aid)

The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.

Heidelberg University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine: Internationally Renowned Patient Care, Research and Teaching

Heidelberg University Hospital (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, UKHD) is one of the largest and most prestigious medical centers in Germany. The Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University (Medizinische Fakultät Heidelberg, MFHD) belongs to the internationally renowned biomedical research institutions in Europe. Both institutions have the common goal of developing new therapies and implementing them rapidly for patients. Heidelberg University Hospital and the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University employs around 14.500 employees and is committed to providing trainings and qualifications. Every year, around 86,000 patients and more than 1.100.000 outpatient cases are treated in more than 50 clinical departments with almost 2.500 beds.

Together with the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the German Cancer Aid, the UKHD established the first National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg. The goal is to provide care at the highest level as an oncology center of excellence and to rapidly transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the hospital. In addition, the UKHD operates in partnership with the DKFZ and the University of Heidelberg the Hopp Children’s Cancer center Heidelberg (KiTZ), a unique and nationally known therapy and research center for oncological and hematological diseases in children and adolescents.

The Heidelberg Curriculum Medicinale (HeiCuMed) is one of the top medical training programs in Germany. Currently, there are about 4.000 future physicians studying in Heidelberg.