Registration opened Monday for the 17th edition of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, the Miami Dolphins' annual fundraiser that has become the largest single charity event in the NFL. The event returns to Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami International Autodrome on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027, giving participants more than six months to train for whichever course they choose.
Cyclists can pick between four routes ranging from 13 to 99 miles, while others can sign up for a 5K walk or run, according to WSVN. Those who register on opening day are automatically entered into a drawing for four club tickets to the Dolphins' home opener in September, part of what organizers are calling the new Day 1 Club, according to InventUM. Interested riders and runners can register through the Dolphins Cancer Challenge website.
Four Courses Named for Dolphins Legends
The cycling routes carry the names of Miami Dolphins Hall of Famers, with each distance corresponding to the legend's jersey number: the 13-mile Dan Marino Ride, the 39-mile Larry Csonka Ride, the 54-mile Zach Thomas Ride, and the 99-mile Jason Taylor Ride, per the Miami Dolphins organization. All routes begin at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens before winding through South Florida.
Every dollar raised by participants goes directly to Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to fund cancer research, clinical innovation and patient survivorship programs, with administrative and event costs covered separately through corporate sponsorships and the Dolphins organization itself. That full pass-through model has helped the event grow into a fixture of South Florida sports philanthropy since it began in 2010 as a tribute to former Dolphins tight end and radio broadcaster Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich, who was diagnosed with bile duct cancer and treated at Sylvester before his death in April 2011, according to CBS News.
A Record-Breaking Run
The 16th edition of the event, held in June 2026, set an all-time fundraising record by pulling in more than $18 million from over 8,600 participants — marking six consecutive years of record-breaking growth and topping the prior year's $14 million haul from 7,300 participants, according to the Miami Dolphins organization. That surge came just months after the Dolphins announced in February 2026 that the challenge had surpassed $100 million in total funds raised since its founding, cementing its status as the largest single charity fundraiser in the league, as reported by Lemon City Live.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Health System, is South Florida's only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and one of just two in the state, a distinction shared by only 73 cancer centers nationwide. The center's growing research footprint was on display earlier this year when its 12-story research tower opened, a project funded in part by challenge dollars.
New Funding Partnership Targets Health Disparities
The event's fundraising momentum is now feeding into bigger institutional commitments. In August 2026, the V Foundation for Cancer Research announced a 10-year, $30 million joint commitment with the Dolphins Cancer Challenge and Sylvester — the largest partnership in V Foundation history — to fund cancer health disparity research in South Florida, according to the V Foundation. The fund supports the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund.
The partnership builds on a broader philanthropic push that began in 2020, when the Dolphins pledged to raise $75 million for Sylvester over six years — a goal the organization hit in February 2024, nearly two years ahead of schedule. That plan also expanded the challenge into a year-round campaign known as DCC 365, according to the event's official site. Hoodline covered the 14th edition of the event back in February 2024, when thousands turned out for a similar mix of rides and walks honoring Mandich's legacy.
