A moment from the latest edition of the Running Minds project in Badalona
/ @kilianjornetfoundation
The Kilian Jornet Foundation (KJF) and The Ricky Rubio Foundation (TRRF) held a new edition of the Running Minds project last Saturday, April 25, in Badalona, with the meeting point at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Can Ruti). A total of 32 people, including 19 lung cancer patients, took part in a community walk of 7 kilometers, accompanied by thematic stops with specialists in oncology, air pollution, and environmental health.
Running Minds is an initiative by the Kilian Jornet Foundation that turns a simple run into a space for conversation, reflection, and learning, bringing together scientists and the local community in motion to understand how sport can contribute to environmental and social change.
In this edition, co-organized with The Ricky Rubio Foundation, the focus was on lung cancer and its connection to the environment. The route was adapted for participants from the LungFit program and the Spanish Association of Lung Cancer Patients (AECAP). The main goal was to raise awareness about this issue and highlight that physical activity, tailored to each person’s situation, is both possible and beneficial for this group.
Thematic stops were set up along the route
/ @kilianjornetfoundation
LungFit is The Ricky Rubio Foundation’s adapted physical exercise program for lung cancer patients, supporting participants throughout their oncology journey and emphasizing movement as a tool for health, well-being, and community.
The walk focused on the body in motion, openly discussing the disease, its risk factors, and how our environment affects lung health. Along the route, thematic stops allowed participants to delve into key aspects of lung cancer prevention.
Dr. Enric Cassareny and Dr. Marc Cucurull, oncologists specializing in lung cancer, addressed risk factors beyond tobacco, the importance of early diagnosis, and the benefits of physical exercise for cancer patients. Researchers Gemma Castaño and Ivon Sánchez from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an initiative promoted by the “la Caixa” Foundation, explained how urban air pollution impacts lung health and what practices help reduce exposure—such as prioritizing exercise in low-traffic areas, like green spaces or quiet streets in cities such as Badalona or Barcelona. This was set against a backdrop of recent studies published in *Nature* that demonstrate a direct link between air pollution and DNA damage associated with lung cancer in non-smokers.
The day placed special emphasis on how exposure to radon gas
/ @kilianjornetfoundation
The event highlighted how exposure to radon gas—a naturally occurring radioactive gas that accumulates indoors—is a risk factor and the second leading cause of lung cancer in many countries. In Catalonia, areas such as the northern coast and the Pyrenees have significant levels of this gas, making local awareness a priority for public health and environmental prevention.
The day was supported by the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Can Ruti) and the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) in Badalona as leading healthcare providers, and by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in the field of environmental research.
