The National Kidney Registry Renal Warriors crossed the finish line of the 300+ mile Source to City Rat Race in downtown Manhattan on Monday, September 22, 2025. The team of four kidney transplant recipients and seven living kidney donors began their journey four days earlier in Lake Placid with a technical and grueling 18-mile hike over Mount Marcy, the highest point in New York and the source of the Hudson River. The next three days consisted of cycling and kayaking through the Hudson Valley to the George Washington Bridge, where the team crossed into the city on foot for the final 13-mile run to lower Manhattan.
The goal of this event was to inspire others to consider living kidney donation by demonstrating the massive impact a living donor has on a recipient’s life while dispelling myths about the physical limitations imposed on donors following kidney donation. “The recipients on this team were once dependent on a machine to survive. Now, they are out here pushing through days of intense physical challenge, all because a living donor stepped forward to make a difference,” said team leader Hilary Baude. “This team battled through injuries, severe illness, several bike crashes, numerous flat tires, broken bikes, downed trees, and road closures during this 300-mile journey. And we were grateful for every single second of it! This team has such an appreciation for life and what is possible when we unite to support others.”
