A Healthy Challenge to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening Starting at Age 45 for March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in 2022!

For 2022, back by popular acclaim, the “Ride or Stride for 45” Virtual Challenge will bring together the ACG family and GI community to show their commitment to colorectal cancer screening and prevention and highlight age 45 to begin colorectal cancer screening for all average risk adults, as recommended in the updated 2021 ACG Clinical Guidelines on Colorectal Cancer Screening (Shaukat, et al.)
About “Ride or Stride for 45” in 2022
In this virtual event, Co-Chairs Dr. Samir Shah, Dr. David Greenwald, and Dr. Seth Gross invite ACG members, your patients, families and friends to bike, run or walk 45 miles in March (or 45 minutes per day during the month) to show your support and enthusiasm for preventing colorectal cancer beginning at age 45 for all average risk adults.
The American College of Gastroenterology urges you to get some exercise, share the message of colorectal cancer prevention, and connect via social media during this monthlong observance. Proceeds of this event will benefit the ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education.
Your Call-to-Action
- Put your commitment to colorectal cancer prevention to the test and bike, run or walk 45 miles total in March….OR 45 minutes per day during the month!
- Celebrate your success and urge your patients, families, and communities to get screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 45.
- ACG reminds everyone that: Now “45 is the new 50” to start screening for everyone at average risk for colorectal cancer! Your gastroenterologist can find colon polyps early so they can be safely removed and help to prevent colorectal cancers.
How it Works
In this virtual event, you register online and then bike, row, swim, run or walk on your own, take photos in race “swag” (tee shirts, medals and race bibs) and celebrate via social media during March. Don’t forget to log your activity and upload photos on the event webpage.
On social media, please share photos of your activities and tag the College @AmCollegeGastro, and include the hashtags #RideOrStrideFor45 #ColorectalCancerAwarenessMonth.

Register
The event registration is hosted by goneforarun.com and there is a special registration web page to sign up, order a tee shirt and a medal, and download the race bib, plus access a website to share your miles and upload your photos.
Logistics: There is a nominal registration fee of $32. Tee shirts and medals arrive via Fed Ex and the bib can be downloaded. As an option to track your progress, the goneforarun.com site links with your personal data from FitBit, Strava or MapMyRun.
Go the Distance! Virtual 5K for Ride or Stride for 45
On Saturday, March 26, 2022, add 5K to your 45-mile goal for March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month “Ride or Stride for 45” challenge. Invite a team! Challenge your friends! Post your photos and tag @AmCollegeGastro #RideOrStrideFor45
ACG Peloton Group Ride

ACG Peloton Group Ride Saturday March 12, 2022
ACG Peloton Group Ride for “Ride Or Stride For 45” This Saturday! Join your ACG colleagues who exercise using a Peloton for an ACG Group Ride as a special event for the “Ride Or Stride For 45” virtual challenge during March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!
When? THIS SATURDAY! March 12, 2022 at 1:30pm Eastern Time. Details: Join the Peloton “Pop Ride with Alex Toussaint” and use this hashtag #ACGRide45ColonCancer to identify yourself as part of the ACG group on the Peloton leaderboard.
Race Co-Chairs
Samir A. Shah, MD, FACG, ACG President
David A. Greenwald, MD, FACG, ACG Past President
Seth A. Gross, MD, FACG, ACG Trustee
Race Committee
Neena S. Abraham, MD, MSc, FACG
Anita Afzali, MD, FACG
Tauseef Ali, MD, FACG
Sophie M. Balzora, MD, FACG
Aline Charabaty, MD, FACG
Darrell M. Gray, II, MD, MPH, FACG
Jordan J. Karlitz, MD, FACG
Millie D. Long, MD, FACG
Baha Moshiree, MD, MSci, FACG
Amy S. Oxentenko, MD, FACG
Mark B. Pochapin, MD, FACG
Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, FACG
Patrick E. Young, MD, FACG
Ex Officio Members of the Race Committee
ACG Public Relations Committee
Tauseef Ali, MD, FACG, Chair
Jessica Allegretti, MD, MPH, FACG
Sophie M. Balzora, MD, FACG
David Beswick, MD, FACG
Amanda Cheung, MD
Maithili Chitnavis, MD
Reezwana Chowdhury, MD
Robin Dalal, MD
Mohamad El Zein, MD
Katie Falloon, MD
Adam Goodman, MD, FACG
Danny Issa, MD
Ankur Jain, MD, FACG
Allon Kahn, MD
Leo Katz, MD, FACG
Jonathan Kung, MD
Adam Lessne, MD
Benjamin Levy, III, MD
Scot Lewey, DO, FACG
Phillip Lindholm, MD
Dana Lukin, MD, PhD, FACG
Lisa Malter, MD, FACG
Maen Masadeh, MD
Sajan Jiv Nagpal, MD
Linda Anh Nguyen, MD
Jose Nieto, DO, FACG
Anjana Pillai, MD, FACG
Atoosa Rabiee, MD
Francisco Ramirez, MD, MACG
Shawn Shah, MD
Tyson Sievers, MD
Pooja Singhal, MD, FACG
Joshua Sloan, DO
David Victor, MD, FACG
ACG Board of Trustees
Samir A. Shah, MD, FACG
Daniel J. Pambianco, MD, FACG
Jonathan A. Leighton, MD, FACG
William D. Chey, MD, FACG
Amy S. Oxentenko, MD, FACG
David A. Greenwald, MD, FACG
Mark B. Pochapin, MD, FACG
Neena S. Abraham, MD, MSc (Epid), FACG
Jasmohan S. Bajaj, MD, MS, FACG
Millie D. Long, MD, MPH, FACG
Patrick E. Young, MD, FACG
Dayna S. Early, MD, FACG
Irving M. Pike, MD, FACG
Jean-Paul Achkar, MD, FACG
Seth A. Gross, MD, FACG
Immanuel K. H. Ho, MD, FACG
James C. Hobley, MD, MSc, FACG
Costas H. Kefalas, MD, MMM, FACG
Paul Y. Kwo, MD, FACG
John R. Saltzman, MD, FACG
Nicholas J. Shaheen, MD, MPH, MACG
Neil H. Stollman, MD, FACG
Renee L. Williams, MD, MHPE, FACG
ACG’s Commitment Colorectal Cancer Prevention during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
ACG CRC Community Education Toolkit
The ACG’s ongoing commitment to colorectal cancer awareness includes helping physicians educate their patients and communities about the importance of screening. These CRC awareness efforts are highlighted every year during March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and include a CRC Community Education Toolkit containing a wealth of resources, key messages, tips, and downloadable materials.
Patient Information: “45 is the New 50” ACG’s New CRC Screening Age
Age 45 is now recommended as the time to start screening for colorectal cancer among all average risk adults according to 2021 guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology. Your gastroenterologist can find colon polyps early so they can be safely removed and help to prevent colorectal cancers.

In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, yet it is one of the most preventable types of cancer. It is highly treatable and is often curable when caught early. Even during COVID-19, colorectal cancer screening is essential and should not be delayed.
The American College of Gastroenterology is dedicated to the early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer. Our experts know that colorectal cancer screening tests can save lives.
For all the facts about colorectal cancer, screening options for patients and recommendations for prevention, visit gi.org/coloncancer.