On May 10, the 8th Annual Alex Hoag Run for Sunshine will be held at Security Service Field (formerly Sky Sox Stadium) in Colorado Springs. The 5K race is an official qualifier for the Bolder Boulder, one of the largest road races in the country. 

Alex Hoag, born in 1990, was diagnosed with Proteus Syndrome as an infant and died at 9 years old due to a pulmonary embolism, a known complication of the illness. Proteus Syndrome became widely known due to the movie and Broadway play entitled “Elephant Man.”  

Symptoms include increased organ, bone or body size, tumors and other extreme deformities. The syndrome is thought to affect about 120 people worldwide, making it exceptionally rare.  

Race day will include live music, food and awards. Proceeds will go to the Proteus Syndrome Foundation, a group that raises money to help families coping with this illness and for research. For more information, visit www.alexhoagrun.org.