About this festival
AKTIV Against Cancer, the organization co-founded by legendary runner Grete Waitz, today announced that The Rudin Family will be the recipient of the third annual AKTIV Against Cancer Award, which will be presented at a ceremony during the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon week on November 1st at the historic New York Athletic Club. The luncheon will be emceed by New York media personality Tina Cervasio and will be presented by Technogym, the leading producer of design and technology-driven fitness equipment and solutions, and the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation. Mary Wittenberg (2015) and Meb Keflezighi (2016) were the previous honorees.
Additionally, Gabriele ?Gabe? Grunewald will be receiving a special award for her success as both an elite athlete and in dealing with and defeating cancer. Grunewald, an All-American at the University of Minnesota, is a champion in both track and field and in life. However her biggest races have been run in defeating cancer, not once, but twice in 2009 and 2016. In 2014, nearly five years after her initial diagnosis, Grunewald claimed her first national championship with a 3000m title at the USA Indoor Championships. The win granted Grunewald a spot on Team USA for the first time in her career.