Raleigh gears up for the Race for the Cure

Funds raised during the race support the Komen vision of a world without breast cancer.

Chelsea Gibbs, who said she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 at age 25, said she is living the Komen message: "There is life after breast cancer.”

The Komen Raleigh race is one of the largest in the country. Last year, 22,000 people participated. This year, as many as 25,000 participants are expected to run or walk in the event.

With all those people and a hot day expected, organizers are taking precautions.

"We have water stops along the route. We also have 15 EMTs (emergency medical technicians) who are going to be working the whole race route, and we've got ham radio operators this year,” said Pam Blondin, Komen executive director.

Organizers are also urging people to take it easy after air-quality warnings were issued this week due to smoke from a wildfire in eastern North Carolina.

"The beauty of this event is just being here and being around the survivors. You don't have to be the first one around the track,” Blondin said.

"The first time I had my first race, I came here with a temperature of 102, and I left and I was perfectly fine. I was on cloud 13 – not nine but 13,” Gibbs said.

You can register on-site Saturday at the RBC Center and meet up with Team WRAL. Just look for about 300 people in pink WRAL T-shirts. There will be shuttle buses available to take people from the RBC Center to Meredith College.