On 6 April, a sporting celebration took place in Thessaloniki (Greece) in the form of the 19th Alexander the Great marathon, providing unique moments to the 15,000 runners, as well as to thousands more people who experienced the event as spectators. The Panhellenic Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders participated in this event with a lively running team in the 5 km and 10 km races. This race was the forerunner of the 1st International Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Race, which will take place in Thessaloniki in September, during World Alzheimer’s Month. The race will be dedicated not only to all those living with neurodegenerative diseases and to their carers, but also to the continuous purpose of raising awareness throughout the world. The battle of awareness raising, prevention and care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases is unceasing.
Exercise is one of the most important preventative factors for dementia and the Panhellenic Federation has decided to shed more light on dementia prevention by creating an international event of unique importance. The idea is to host an event with people racing to spread the message that “we have the power to prevent dementia!” The proceeds of these events will be given to Greek PhD candidates who are working in the field of prevention of dementia to support dementia research. All of Alzheimer Europe’s members are invited to participate in this great mission, by taking part in the September race, helping strengthen the dementia movement and raise awareness about brain health and prevention! Watch the TV spot created by famous Greek actors, four of them are also caregivers, regarding the forerunner race in April and the 14 dementia risk factors: https://youtu.be/XLPLgm5-RNw (with English subtitles).
