Thousands turnout for annual DONNA Marathon in Jacksonville Beach [Video]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than 6,000 people participated in all of the events during this year’s 17th Annual DONNA Marathon Weekend, with about 4,000 hitting the streets bright and early Sunday morning during the marathon and half marathon at Jacksonville Beach.

The sunrise cast a pink glow across Jacksonville Beach and matched the colors in the crowd over 4,000 strong.

“To see the pink glow in the sky this morning and all these people just feeling the love and running for their loved ones and survivors, it’s overwhelming,” Mayor Donna Deegan, founder of The DONNA Foundation, said.

Deegan, a three-time breast cancer survivor and current mayor of the City of Jacksonville, started the marathon 17 years ago. This year’s theme is Destination Hope, a message shared by many of the runners.

“I had double mastectomy, and was …