Can Walk Can Run is for people living with and beyond cancer as well as their family, carers, and friends - regardless of ability, fitness, or experience.

In April and May, we will deliver Can Walk Can Run to women who have had a cancer diagnosis. This will be in the lead up to the Mother’s Day Classic in Melbourne. Friends and family are again welcome.

From June 2024 we will deliver Can Walk Can Run to all cancer types.

This program is designed to improve your ability to participate in a walking or running event like a fun run or parkrun. It has also been designed to be inclusive, fun, friendly, safe, and empowering.

Can Walk Can Run includes in person walking and running sessions that include a brief group warm up, simple strength exercises, walking, jogging, or running tasks, as well as a cool down. The sessions will be led by both people who have lived experience of cancer as well as an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.

After morning sessions there will be an optional coffee and after evening sessions there will be an optional hangout and social chat with snacks.

Participants who sign up will also receive a weekly newsletter that discusses the evidence for physical activity, exercise, health, and cancer. Participants can also request an individual exercise program from an exercise physiologist. There will be occasional group events, like a team parkrun, and we are working on some t-shirts 😊

From April 1st 2024, Can Walk Can Run will be delivered at:

Princes Park on Monday Mornings at 10am.

King’s Domain on Wednesday evenings at 6pm.

We are considering an additional 7am Thursday morning session at Burnley Garden’s. Please let us know if you are interested in this.

Can Walk Can Run is a part of a research project that is aiming to improve the delivery of community-based physical activity after a cancer treatment or diagnosis. Part of this research is learning what is acceptable to people with lived experience of cancer and what they would like to attend.

Although there is strong evidence that physical activity and exercise can help cancer recovery, there are few rehabilitation programs specific to cancer and even less nonhospital/ community-based programs. By participating in this program, you can help us with these important research questions.

Can Walk Can Run has been developed by researchers from the University of Melbourne and Cancer Council Victoria in collaboration with people who have lived experience of cancer and consultation with other health and community stakeholders.

It combines evidence-based principles of physical activity delivery with values important to community, which were identified as important via co-design.