Columbus 3-Time Cancer Survivor Cycles Pan Ohio Hope Ride for 9th Time

Bob Allen of Columbus is a passionate cyclist and a three-time cancer survivor who is about to ride in his 9th American Cancer Society Pan Ohio Hope Ride from Cleveland to Columbus on July 27-20. It would be his 10th ride, but he missed the 2022 ride year due to a cycling injury which broke his back.

He still fundraised to fight cancer that year with the Pan Ohio Hope Ride, and he is just as determined to ride this year’s 328-mile Pan Ohio as he has been to overcome his cancers. He had basal cell cancer on his left shoulder twice. Although he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in summer 2017, the Pan Ohio is so important to him that Bob delayed his prostate surgery until after completing the Pan Ohio.

Bob, who is age 75, began long-distance riding in 1987. He belongs to Randonneurs USA (RUSA) which promotes non-competitive endurance cycling in a style that originated in France and challenges him to ride 125 miles a month. He had completed 66 consecutive months of cycling 125 miles and more when his prostate surgery interrupted his cycling. Unbelievably, he was back on his bicycle in eight weeks!

“You’ve got to be training all year. I never really stop,” says Bob, who joined the Pan Ohio thanks to a friend who was involved with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the advocacy arm of the Society.

“One of the reasons I got involved with the Pan Ohio Hope Ride is the quality of the riders. They know how to ride long distances safely. They are not weekend warriors. It’s a fantastic group of cyclists for an important cause,” says Bob.

Close to 300 cyclists will take to the road for one, two or four days for this year’s 17th Annual Pan Ohio Hope Ride. The event’s goal is to raise close to $1 million to support the American Cancer Society (ACS) Joseph S. and Jeanette M. Silber Cleveland Hope Lodge, one of 31 ACS Hope Lodge communities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that provide free lodging for cancer patients who travel long distance to receive the best possible treatment.

The 31-guest room Cleveland Hope Lodge is consistently full and often has a waiting list. Many of the guests come from all over the state of Ohio to stay there during cancer treatment.

Construction of a new 10,000 sq. ft. wing with 12 more guest suites is underway to expand Cleveland Hope Lodge to 43 guest rooms, which will add 4,000 more free night stays. Most guests receive their treatment at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center.

To learn more about the Pan Ohio Hope Ride or to support Bob Allen’s ride, see www.pohr.org.