The 10th edition of RaceFor7 held across 21 cities in India

The Organization for Rare Diseases India (ORDI) held the 10th edition of its flagship annual awareness run, Racefor7. This 7-kilometer marathon aims to raise awareness about rare diseases and improve access to medical treatment and resources for patients and their families. This year, over 8300 participants, including patients and caregivers, took part in the run across 21 cities.

The Bengaluru run kicked off at 6:00 AM from St. Joseph Indian High School Ground, with Shweta R Prasad flagging off the event. Over 3000 participants came together to support the cause in the city. Since its launch in Bengaluru in 2016, the event has grown into a nationwide movement. This year, under the theme “For Rare, everywhere”, the run took place simultaneously across multiple cities, including Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Pune, Mysuru, Mangalore, Alwar, Vrindavan, Pali, Jammu, Asansol, Bhatinda and Thrissur. 

Racefor7 is an annual awareness run/walk held to commemorate World Rare Diseases Day, which falls on the last day of February each year. This global initiative aims to raise awareness among the public and policymakers about the challenges faced by individuals living with rare diseases. In 2025, World Rare Diseases Day will be observed on Friday, 28th February.

For the past 10 years, Racefor7 has been raising awareness and amplifying the voice of Rare Diseases Community to all the Stakeholders and the general public. This event is supported by 25 registered patient advocacy groups across the country, and over 30 medical institutions including the Center of Excellence for Rare Diseases.

Racefor7 aims to drive policy-level impact and improve access to treatment across India. Through awareness, advocacy, and collaboration with policymakers, the focus is to accelerate diagnosis and pushing for better healthcare solutions for the rare disease community.