Runners Take to Chicago Streets to Combat Liver Disease

The Liver Life Challenge serves as the official endurance program for the American Liver Foundation, turning the marathon into a platform for patient support and scientific advocacy. For many participants, the race is a deeply personal endeavor. Team Captain Jim O'Connell, a New Hampshire resident who has run with the foundation for over a decade, is competing in memory of his father, who lost his life to liver cancer.

Others are running to bridge the gap between clinical research and patient reality. Sydney Flakus-Witte, a University of Chicago researcher studying gut microbiomes, is racing to honor her husband, who lives with primary sclerosing cholangitis—a rare autoimmune condition currently lacking curative therapies. The team includes a diverse group of physicians, transplant recipients, and living donors like Amanda Neal, who donated a portion of her liver to a child. By participating in this elite event, the foundation aims to highlight the urgent need for better prevention strategies and medical breakthroughs for the 100 million Americans affected by liver-related conditions.