Brad Falcone: How V Foundation MVP and Marathon Runner is Supporting Cancer Research
Brad Falcone is inspired by his personal cancer journey to support cancer research in multiple ways, as an MVP monthly donor and Team V Runner
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Brad didn’t intend to be a marathon runner; one thing just happened after the other. Running on the treadmill turned into running a 5K race, which turned into a half marathon, which turned into marathons. Then, he was hooked.
“It’s an addictive sport. Once you do one, you just want to do another one. I love doing it at this point.”
For him, running isn’t just lacing up the running shoes. It’s symbolic of the marathons he’s been through during his cancer journey and the marathons he’s running toward a better tomorrow.
Brad’s Cancer Story: From Testicular Cancer Diagnosis to Thriving
In the afternoon of what started as a normal day in November 2012, Brad was hit with an intense pain. He went to an urgent care, where they did some tests and referred him to a urologist. At the urologist’s appointment more tests were run, and within what felt like seconds he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
There was no time to process this news. Brad was scheduled for surgery within two days, but that wasn’t the end of the road. Less than two months later, his tumor markers were elevated, and he underwent chemotherapy.
Since 2013, Brad has been feeling good and staying on top of his health. He credits cancer research for paving the way for him to thrive after his journey with cancer.
“I know I had a much better case of survival because of advancements in research,” Brad said. “The survival rate for testicular cancer is very high. It wasn’t as high, maybe 40-50 years ago. In that regard, research helped in my case, and I know it helps so many other people dealing with it.”
Brad and the V Foundation
Brad grew up knowing of the V Foundation for Cancer Research and founder Jim Valvano’s story.
“Every year we would watch Jim Valvano’s speech during the ESPYS and my mom would cry at some point,” Brad said. “It was just a big deal. As soon as I got diagnosed with testicular cancer, I knew that’s what I wanted to model.”
When Brad was diagnosed with cancer, his employer made a donation in his honor. Brad knew when he started running marathons that he could fundraise for a charity cause, and he chose the V Foundation because of its mission of funding the best of the best cancer researchers across North America.
Brad also became a V Foundation MVP as a monthly donor . He supports game-changing cancer research all year long and knows that the impact of donations has led to lifesaving advancements.
As he explained, “Being an MVP means being part of the mission of supporting Jimmy V’s “Don’t Give Up . . . Don’t Ever Give Up!”® Advancing cancer research over the years has definitely led to an increase in survival rates. Somebody you know or somebody that you love can directly benefit from cancer research.”
Running for Victory: Brad’s Marathon Journey
Brad’s passion for marathons started in 2017. He ran one per year until the pandemic hit (Columbus, OH in 2017, New York City in 2018 and 2019, Los Angeles in 2020), then a foot injury sidelined him for a couple years. He made his return at the 2024 New York City Marathon last November.
Brad is now looking forward to running the 2025 Chicago Marathon this October with Team V, the V Foundation’s official endurance sports program . It will be very special as his girlfriend, his sister and his nephew will be there to cheer him on.
“I’m really excited to have all those people in my corner and just excited to raise money for the V Foundation, to try a new course, and add to my World Major Marathon count.”
Brad aims to advance the V Foundation’s mission of achieving Victory Over Cancer®. He knows that research is powering the race to Victory, and has no plans to stop until the race is won. He’s seen Victory in his own life, but he’s now running for Victory of others.
“Victory Over Cancer for me personally is living my life on a daily basis,” Brad said. “I’m trying to just inspire people through my story and trying to do things that a lot of people aren’t doing – like running marathons.
“For a lot of people, Victory is survival and having treatments for the next generation, so nobody has to deal with cancer.”
