500 Runners Honor Brain Cancer Pioneer at Sydney Parkrun

On Saturday morning, runners filled the trails at Greenway Parkrun in Sydney's inner west, not for a race but for a celebration of hope and resilience. They came to honor Professor Richard Scolyer, the Australian of the Year who transformed brain cancer research while living fully through his own diagnosis.

Posters of Scolyer hung around Richard Murdern Reserve in Haberfield as nearly 500 people gathered at the start line. Before the run began, participants shared memories and reflected on the man who ran this same five-kilometer loop every Saturday for eight years.

Scolyer was a renowned melanoma researcher who turned his glioblastoma diagnosis into groundbreaking science. He volunteered as "patient zero" for experimental immunotherapy treatment, surviving almost two years longer than expected while providing scientists with invaluable data that will help shape the future of brain cancer care.

But at Greenway Parkrun, he was simply Rich, the "daggy guy" who would run up next to strangers and strike up conversations. His brother Mark, who ran alongside him dozens of times, described the emotional morning as capturing his brother's true spirit: people being kind to each other, pushing each other forward.

During his cancer battle, Scolyer set a goal of completing 250 parkruns. He reached that milestone in June 2025, almost exactly one year before Saturday's memorial run, just months after announcing his cancer had returned.

Acting group run director Emily Hamilton said Scolyer embodied what the Greenway parkrun community stands for. "He was one of those people that just really encouraged people to give it a crack and have a go," she said.

Why This Inspires

Scolyer's legacy extends far beyond the research papers and awards, including the 2024 Australian of the Year honor he shared with Professor Georgina Long. His choice to face terminal illness with both scientific rigor and joy shows that hope doesn't mean denial. It means running the race in front of you, whether that's five kilometers on a Saturday morning or pioneering treatments that will save future lives.

The Greenway Parkrun community will keep running, keep encouraging newcomers, and keep remembering the man who showed them that giving it a go matters most.