Record amount raised by the 538 Morning Run: more than € 2.2 million

The third edition of the 538 Morning Run took place at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam on Saturday. The event was organized by Radio 538, a partner of the Foundation. Nearly 800 participants ran 5.38 kilometers, divided across three runs, to raise money for the Princess Máxima Center. More than 200 individuals and companies also launched fundraising campaigns to raise additional funds. Many of the participants were children and families receiving treatment at the Máxima Center, as well as colleagues. This led to special and emotional moments and a strong sense of connection, both on the track and in the stadium. This year, Emelie, 16, was the face of the 538 Morning Run. As a result of her brain tumor, she is almost blind and knows what it is like to live with childhood cancer.

An especially impressive part of this year’s event was Jeroen van Veen’s achievement. After spending a week running 100 kilometers a day on a treadmill in the Radio 538 studio, he completed his final 38 kilometers in the stadium on Saturday. He then ran one more lap of honor, bringing his incredible total to 538 kilometers in one week. It was an extraordinary achievement.

Together for the Máxima Center

In addition to the radio DJs from the 538 Morning Show, who broadcast live from the event, our ambassadors Bas Smit, Maan, and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano were also there to cheer everyone on. Samuel Welten and Sven Versteeg got the stadium in the mood with live performances. René Medema, Chief Scientific Officer, was interviewed during the radio broadcast and accepted the wonderful check together with Jeroen and Emelie. The morning ended with a performance by Jaap Reesema, who sang his song ‘Everything Will Be Fine’ together with Emelie.

The proceeds from the 2026 538 Morning Run will support three innovative technologies that can help determine tumor type more quickly and accurately, as well as a study aimed at making immunotherapy a standard treatment and reducing chemotherapy for children with leukemia. This will contribute to higher survival rates, fewer side effects, and a better quality of life for children with cancer.