For the last 40 years, thousands of people from around the world have come to participate in the Los Angeles Marathon.

With multiple events, an inclusive environment, a course that traverses some of L.A.’s most vibrant neighborhoods and spirited encouragement at every mile, participating in the L.A. Marathon is a deeply unique experience.

Perhaps what sets the L.A. Marathon apart the most, however, is its philanthropic nature, with 100 nonprofit partners that participants can aid. The Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program at USC’s marathon team, a partner of the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research, fundraises annually in support of young adults diagnosed with cancer. This year alone, they’ve raised over $6,000 for the cause.

“It’s a race where anyone can do it, anyone can sign up for it, anyone can pay for it,” said Joey Schifano, a member of Team AYA@USC and a USC alum.

AYA@USC is a program under the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center that provides holistic support to young adults diagnosed with cancer. For these individuals, there is a gap in resources and support that this program hopes to fill.

“Even though life has a lot of uncertainties and challenges, the passion, the dedication and the creativity [in young adults] does not go away because of cancer,” said Shu Li, AYA@USC’s program administrator.

Since its inception in 2013, it has reached over 5,000 individuals, hosting community events like workshops, socials and retreats. But AYA@USC is more than just a program — it’s a community.

“It’s everything,” said Kenny Chu, a cancer survivor and a USC alum. “It’s helped me survive.”

Xixi Hu, a fellow USC alum and cancer survivor now out of treatment, said that AYA@USC is still a fundamental part of her life.

“Cancer has passed,” Hu said, “but there is this level of emotional trauma that’s still there. That’s why I still support a group like this. That’s why I still participate in events like this.”

AYA@USC’s community stretches far beyond the patients currently undergoing treatment. Cancer survivors, family members, friends, caretakers, staff and doctors all make this program acutely impactful.

The members of Team AYA@USC are running this year’s races for vastly different reasons, yet there is a solidarity that can be felt. Li explained there’s “a sense of a community that we’re doing this all together.”

There’s something larger at hand — something that propels them forward.

For Douglas Lauder, a local high school teacher, being on Team AYA@USC is about running alongside Chu, his long-time friend.

Dr. Robert Hsu, a thoracic medical oncologist and seasoned marathon runner, runs on Team AYA@USC to fundraise for cancer research and show support for his patients.

“Knowing [you’re trying to] promote something bigger than yourself, that’s certainly great motivation,” Hsu said.

But for the AYA@USC patients who are participating, the stakes for this race are especially high.

“[They] really just want to fight. That’s the only way [they] want to move forward. [They] want to go forward,” Li said.

For Chu, moving forward is exactly what this year’s race represents. Last year, he ran the L.A. Marathon on Team AYA@USC, thinking his battle with cancer was behind him.

“It was like my victory march,” Chu said. “At the finish line, it literally started raining. And as I got there, I just held my hand up high and celebrated. And I thought everything was over.”

It was his “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994) moment, as he calls it. It was a celebration. But in light of his recent cancer diagnosis, the L.A. Marathon has taken on a new meaning.

“It’s a fight back to cancer,” Chu said. “And saying, ‘Okay, sure, it happened, but I’m still gonna do this race.’”

If there’s anything Chu’s journey with cancer has taught him, it’s resilience, which he showcases through his outlook on running.

“No matter what happens, you just keep going,” Chu said. “That’s why I run, and why it’s so important, because it’s an opportunity to be able to show the fight.”

When Hu signed up for her first L.A. half-marathon last year, her reasons were strikingly similar. She was a few months out of treatment, and she had something to prove.

“I needed to know that I could be me again … that I could go back to being who I was,” Hu said.

Instead, the race served as a wake-up call, as she quickly realized she wasn’t back to normal and that recovery would take time. This year, even further out of treatment and with less pressure on her shoulders, Hu is going into the marathon with greater certainty and a desire for advocacy and awareness.

“I used [the marathon] this year to say, ‘This is just a piece of who I am,’” Hu said. “It’s not all of who I am, but it’s a piece of who I am.”

Hu never imagined she would get cancer in her 30s, but she wants to use her experience to remind people that everyone has a story, even if they aren’t ready to share it. Through this race, Hu has been able to share that part of herself she hid away for so long, and encourages everyone to “use something [they’re] passionate about and do it for a purpose.”

For those that make up Team AYA@USC, that passion is running, and that purpose is to advocate for young adults with cancer. For them, it isn’t about crossing the finish line with the best time. It’s about constantly moving forward.

“That’s what running is,” Chu said. “You just go on one foot at a time, and you just do it.”