On Saturday, February 8, hundreds of people in St. Louis will brave the cold in just their undies during Cupid’s Undie Run, the nation’s largest pantless party and mile(ish) run for charity. The festivities start at noon downtown at Ballpark Village. The run is just the tip of the iceberg, since it is only a “brief” mile. Organizers describe the event this way, “Party, mile run, party. Help us #EndNF by running a mile in your skivvies for charity.” Last year the event raised close to $100,000.

Runners take of from Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis for 2024 Cupid’s Undie Run.

KSDK-TV St. Louis coverage of Cupid’s Undie Run.

“Cupid’s Undie Run kicks off with drinking and dancing, then we jog it out with a mile(ish) run and end it all with an epic dance party!”

The event raises awareness of neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, and fundraises for NF research through the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF).

For those unable to run in person participants can also run “virtually” to help raise funds.

HOW IT WORKS

1. REGISTER

2. DITCH the pants.

3. FUNDRAISE “Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya - Fundraise like a boss.

4. RUN Like Hell (In Your Undies) - Join the most ridiculous 'mile(ish)' of your life.

5. PARTY

WHAT IT IS

1. CUPID’S UNDIE RUN IS…

2. THE LARGEST PANTLESS PARTY AND MILE(ISH) RUN IN THE NATION

3. A CHARITY FUNDRAISING EVENT WITH 100% OF NET PROCEEDS FUNDING NF RESEARCH

4. COMING TO CITIES ALL ACROSS THE U.S. IN FEBRUARY 2025!

5. CUPID’S UNDIE RUN IS COMMITTED TO FINDING A CURE FOR NF!

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

It all started with a crazy idea…

In 2010, a group of do-gooders, led by co-founders Brendan Hanrahan, Chad Leathers and Bobby Gill, dropped their pants and ran through the cold in Washington D.C. to raise money for research to help end NF, a group of genetic conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. To help raise awareness about NF, they decided to strip down in solidarity and run in their undies.

WHY THEY RUN

One of their founders, Chad Leathers, and his family, are just one of the inspirations behind Cupid’s Undie Run. Chad’s brother, Drew, was diagnosed with NF at the age of 16. He had his entire life ahead of him and no real concept of how this new diagnosis would change his life completely. In 2009, Drew became paralyzed because of the tumors encroaching on his spine.

He spent 183 days in the hospital in a single year, “changing the channels with a straw.” Life at this point was beyond difficult, but despite the hardship, Drew and his family never gave up. By 2012, Drew was able to move past his hospital bed and stand on his own two feet to accept the Children’s Tumor Foundation Ambassador Award.

CUPID RUNS NATIONWIDE

St. Louis joins a joy-filled, national fundraising phenomenon with tens of thousands in the fight against NF. In 2025, Cupid’s Undie Run will be held in 33 other cities throughout the nation — Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boise, Boston, Buffalo, Charleston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Madison, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham, Reno, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seaside Heights, Seattle, St. Petersburg, Virginia Beach, Washington, DC, and Wilmington.