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On Saturday, September 12, the 15th “Rowing Against Cancer” charity regatta will begin at 9 a.m. on the Neckar River in Heidelberg. The Living with Cancer Foundation, the Heidelberg Rowing Club 1898 (RGH), and the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg are bringing together sports enthusiasts, cancer patients, and supporters to get active for a good cause. The proceeds will go toward the “Exercise and Cancer” patient program at the NCT in Heidelberg.

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

Exercising, experiencing a sense of community, supporting people with cancer: The “Rowing Against Cancer” charity regatta combines the joy of physical activity with a commitment to improving care for people with cancer. People living with cancer, their loved ones, and medical and nursing staff will take to the water together—with or without rowing experience.

The races in the double-four gig boats cover 300 meters and start below the Theodor-Heuss Bridge in downtown Heidelberg. The course runs downstream, with the finish line at the Neckarwiese. The winning teams from the heats advance to the finals. For the remaining teams, repechage races in the afternoon offer another chance. Experienced coxswains from the RGH guide the boats safely to the finish. The ActiveOncoKids youth rowing teams will also be competing again in their own children’s races.

The regatta village on the Neckarwiese offers a program for the whole family. On stage, there will be interviews and live music, while fitness activities and information and activity booths invite visitors to participate and interact. In addition, guests can look forward to meeting sports celebrities from Team Los Angeles of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. Adults and children can get active at various sports stations during the “Team Los Angeles vs. Heidelberg” challenge and compare their performance with that of future Olympians.

Numerous support groups will also be present on-site, including the Women’s Cancer Support Group, the Neuroendocrine Tumors Network, and the German Foundation for Young Adults with Cancer, as well as initiatives such as the OnkoAktiv Network and other partners from the healthcare sector. The event is supported by its long-standing patrons, Manfred Lautenschläger—founder and honorary chairman of the supervisory board of MLP SE—and Heidelberg’s mayor, Eckart Würzner.

Thomas Bellut, CEO of the Living with Cancer Foundation, says: “With ‘Rowing Against Cancer,’ we’re highlighting the importance of physical activity as a key component of cancer treatment. At the same time, we’re raising funds together to further establish exercise as a key component of cancer treatment.”

The “Rowing Against Cancer” charity regatta has now evolved into an event that, as a varied day by the water, sends a strong message in support of exercise and specialized programs for cancer patients, such as those offered at the NCT Heidelberg.

Dirk Jäger, Executive Director at the NCT Heidelberg and Medical Director of the Department of Medical Oncology at Heidelberg University Hospital, says: “It has been proven time and again that exercise can act like medicine for cancer. Exercise is far more than just a bonus; it is a valuable element of treatment from which patients derive measurable benefits. The proceeds from ‘Rowing Against Cancer’ help us offer a comprehensive exercise program at the NCT Heidelberg.”

Facts and Figures

Rowing Against Cancer: 15th Charity Regatta on the Neckar River in Heidelberg

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026

• Starting at 8:00 a.m.: Distribution of race numbers
• Starting at 9:00 a.m.: Races
• approx. 5:00 p.m. Awards ceremony

Organizer: Stiftung Leben mit Krebs
Coordinator: National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
Host: Rudergesellschaft Heidelberg 1898 e. V. (RGH)
Contact: Sönke Hartung-Rey, Tel.: 06221-3219246, s.hartung-rey(at)rgh-heidelberg.de
Venue: Neckar River and Neckarwiese, Neuenheim, Heidelberg
Race course: 300 meters
Boat class: Coxed quadruple sculls
Participants/Teams: Various classes for women, men, and mixed teams; patients; participants with and without rowing experience
Competition format: Preliminary and repechage heats, finals

Participants in the accompanying program and in the regatta village

Patient Advisory Board, Patient Research Council, and Patient Guidance Service of the NCT Heidelberg

Cancer support groups

• Netzwerk Neuroendokrine Tumoren (NeT) e. V.
• Frauenselbsthilfe Krebs e.V., Gruppe Heidelberg
• Selbsthilfenetzwerk Kopf-Hals-M.U.N.D.-Krebs e. V.
• BRCA-Netzwerk – Hilfe bei familiären Krebserkrankungen e.V., Gesprächskreis Heidelberg
• mamazone – Frauen und Forschung gegen Brustkrebs e.V., Gruppe Heidelberg
• Deutschen Stiftung für junge Erwachsene mit Krebs; Treffpunkt Heidelberg

Information Booths

• Stiftung Leben mit Krebs
• Netzwerk OnkoAktiv
• Krebsberatungsstelle Nordbaden
• Netzwerk ActiveOnkoKids
• Aktion für krebskranke Kinder e.V.
• dm-drogerie markt
• Sparkasse Heidelberg
• Volksbank Heidelberg-Neckartal
• AbbVie
• Fürstlich Castell‘scheBank
• ZAP – Zentrum aktiver Prävention
• Yoga und Krebs
• mediteo

Hands-on Activities (selection):

• “Heidelberg vs. Team Los Angeles” sports challenge with five stations
• Painting for children
• Rowing ergometers
• Yoga on the lawn
• Moving meditation on the lawn
• Painting bags
• Photo wall for instant printing

Stage program featuring, among others:

• Interviews with Katja Spahn (patient and European champion in dragon boat racing) and Olympic athletes from Team Los Angeles Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region
• Live music with Reno Meno

An image accompanying this press release is available free of charge at:
https://www.nct-heidelberg.de/fileadmin/media/nct-heidelberg/news/pressemitteilungen/RGK_PM_NCT_Heidelberg.jpg

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Press contact:

Dr. Martin Staiger
National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
Communications and Events
Im Neuenheimer Feld 460
69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Tel.: +49 6221 56-311272
Email: 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 3,500 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 Research, Technology and Space and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.