Where did the Name Legwork for Lungs Come From?

Published on: April 4, 2015

Why is this 5k supporting lung cancer in particular?

Lately, it seems cancer is everywhere – in books, movies, a slew of fundraisers like this one, and most terrifyingly people’s lives. My personal reason to raise money for lung cancer is I know a fantastic, wonderful person who was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer 2 years ago. The 5 year survival rate for this cancer is 1% (cancer.org), but she is nowhere near death. She’s fighting because she must fight, but most importantly she is living, and enjoying her life, friends, and family. I have known her for most of my life, and I know the best way I could thank her for what she has given to me is by helping people in her situation. She is a patient at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and has highly recommended this hospital as an organization truly worth donating to.

Why a 5k? And why the word legwork?

Being an avid runner, I thought a 5k run would be a great way to raise money for lung cancer, since you need lungs that are in great shape in order to run. On a lighter note, legwork can have two definitions.

First of all, it can mean your legs are working, which tends to happen when you are running a 5k.

The second, more clever definition of legwork is, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, “(noun):  active physical work (as in gathering information) that forms the basis of more creative or mentally exacting work”.  A prime example of this is a detective going around to suspects, or doing the legwork, to determine who committed the crime. As runners, we are doing active, physical work that will raise money for lung cancer, or form the basis for the mentally exacting work that is research.