The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition will hold its 17th annual Monster Mile Walk for a Cause & 5K from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, turning one of Delaware’s best-known sports venues into a gathering place for breast cancer survivors, families, supporters and runners from across the state.

Oct. 11 event adds a distinctly Delaware experience to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, giving families and survivors the chance to walk or race on the famed Dover Motor Speedway track

DOVER, Del. — Breast Cancer Awareness Month is recognized across the country each October, from community walks and fundraising campaigns to highly visible displays of pink throughout professional sports.

This year, Delaware will add an experience with a distinctly First State twist: the chance to walk or run on the Monster Mile at Dover Motor Speedway.

The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition will hold its 17th annual Monster Mile Walk for a Cause & 5K from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, turning one of Delaware’s best-known sports venues into a gathering place for breast cancer survivors, families, supporters and runners from across the state.

The event comes during a month when breast cancer awareness receives national attention, including throughout the sports world. The NFL and its teams have long used the October football season to highlight cancer awareness, screening and early detection, helping make the month one of the most recognizable health-awareness campaigns in the country.

Against that national backdrop, the Monster Mile event gives Delawareans their own unusual way to participate — by stepping directly onto the same concrete oval where some of the biggest names in auto racing have competed.

From Race Cars to Runners

Instead of watching race cars circle the one-mile track, participants will take to the racing surface themselves.

The traditional one-mile walk returns this year, while DBCC is adding a timed 5K for the first time, opening the event to more serious runners as well as families and casual walkers.

“The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition is delighted to bring the 2026 Monster Mile Walk for a Cause & 5K back to the iconic Dover Motor Speedway, where our community will unite to honor, remember and support those impacted by breast cancer,” DBCC CEO Francesca Vogel said.

“Whether you choose to participate in our traditional 1-mile walk or take on our new timed 5K race, every step you take helps fuel DBCC’s life-saving mission,” she said.

For families, the event offers an opportunity to participate in one of October’s signature causes while experiencing a Delaware landmark from a perspective normally unavailable to race fans.

A Community Celebration

The day will extend beyond the walk and race, with music, face painting, food vendors, family activities and local vendor booths planned around the speedway.

Participants are encouraged to form teams, raise money and bring some personality to the track.

Awards will recognize the highest team fundraiser, highest individual fundraiser, best team costume and best dog costume. Special Monster Mile medals also will be presented.

DBCC also is seeking businesses, corporations and community organizations to sponsor the event. Sponsorship packages include event visibility, participant registrations and opportunities for company branding on event shirts and signage.

Every Step Supports Delaware Programs

Money raised through the Monster Mile directly supports DBCC programs throughout Delaware, including breast health education, access to screenings, personalized patient navigation, survivorship services and emergency financial assistance for people and families facing a breast cancer diagnosis.

The coalition also works to reduce financial, cultural and other barriers that can prevent Delawareans from receiving screenings and treatment.

Headquartered in Wilmington with offices serving Kent and Sussex counties, DBCC provides breast health education and support programs throughout the state.

Its programs include community health fairs, breast health presentations and a Peer Mentor Program that helps connect patients and survivors with support and resources.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings the issue to national attention every October. On Oct. 11, Delawareans will have the opportunity to make that observance local — and do it on one of the most recognizable tracks in American auto racing.

To Go

• What: 17th Annual Monster Mile Walk for a Cause & 5K
• When: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Where: Dover Motor Speedway, Dover
• Why it’s different: Participants get to walk or run on the famed Monster Mile racing surface as part of Delaware’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities.
• What to expect: One-mile walk, new timed 5K, music, food vendors, family activities, face painting and community vendors.
• Who benefits: Proceeds support Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition screening, education, patient navigation, survivorship and emergency assistance programs.
• Register, form a team or become a sponsor: give.debreastcancer.org/ge/monstermile2026
• Learn more: debreastcancer.org

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