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Race for the Cure runners pound soggy ground for cancer research

Thousands gathered at Meredith College in Raleigh Saturday morning for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, one day after Tropical Storm Andrea drenched the area with record rainfall.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Thousands gathered at Meredith College in Raleigh Saturday morning for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, one day after Tropical Storm Andrea drenched the area with record rainfall.

The soggy ground didn't deter racers from putting on pink to honor breast cancer survivors and raise money for cancer research. 

Samantha Callich, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 19, said participating in the race is a "remarkable experience."

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"I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination for me to say that I'm alive today because of organizations like Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Society," she said. "I was made aware of breast cancer at a really young age, and because of that, when I found my tumor, I was able to seek appropriate treatment."

She urged younger women to pay attention to their bodies and advocate for their own health because "breast cancer can touch you at any age."

Carol Laregina has twice beat breast cancer.

"I am lucky I am here, but there are millions of women battling stage three and four breast cancer who may not be. We have to find a cure," Laregina said. "It will kill, and that is the serious part and that's the scary part. We don't like to talk about that, but that is the reality."

Runners hit the track for the competitive heat at 7 a.m., followed by a survivors' run, before the main, open race kicked off at 8:30 a.m.

Overcast skies kept the heat in check for race participants, though they signaled an end to the day's dry start.

Spotty showers and storms are expected to move in for the afternoon, any one of which could pack brief, heavy downpours and gusty winds.

"Things are a little quieter today, but not the kind of day we can guarantee it's going to be dry all the time, but there will be plenty of breaks in between," said WRAL meteorologist Mike Moss. 

The day will be plenty humid, with temperatures topping out in the upper 80s.

Sunday's weather will mirror that of the day before. It starts warm, muggy and partly cloudy with a lesser chance for afternoon thunderstorms.

The pattern holds through the early part of the work week, although the storm possibilities slip into the widely scattered category by Tuesday and Wednesday.

The average June rainfall in Raleigh is 3.42 inches. So far this month, the Triangle has had 6.02 inches of rain.

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