There are so many people who made yesterday possible--from volunteers to community partners to #RunningWorks team members to the media for helping raise awareness. We would be remiss in not beginning with a resounding THANK YOU to everyone involved. The lead up to the Thunder Road Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k was a couple of months in the making, and encompassed two of our core values: discipline and teamwork. Everyone worked together to make it happen especially when it became clear that the weather was going to be unseasonably cold. For us, that means scrambling to make sure everyone has #RWTeam suit, gloves, hats, undershirt, etc. before the early morning start, and for those racing the marathon and half marathon...shelter! Oh, the things that are so taken for granted as a regular runner. At RunningWorks, we try to show the neighbors that they will get out what they put in with work ethic, so we could not be more thrilled that Momadi and Chuck reached their sub four hour marathon goal yesterday. They did the work! So they reaped the reward. Within three hours post race, Chuck looked at me serious as a heart attack and said, What do I need to do to go faster? For those endurance athletes out there, you realize he is hooked. Some people swear they are never doing it again post race, and others are already on the next one and looking for improvement. Hopefully, this improvement will come with the added structure of a job and housing--even more ways to keep each day healthy and balanced. Mamadi finished the race and diligently called his teacher to tried to attend class in the afternoon even though he was exhausted. Because he was so conscientious, she gave him the day off--extremely impressed and proud at his accomplishment--and told him to please bring his medal to class on Monday. Antonio, who is suffering an IT band issue, finished the half in serious pain but without complaining and still went to work in the afternoon on a construction site after supporting his teammates all morning (see photos). His boss actually saw him racing and could not believe the effort! As a result, he paid him for an entire day for doing something positive with his time and let him work only two hours. That is what happens when following the RunningWorks way of the next right thing. Good job, guys! Every single racer in the marathon and half marathon completed his or her goal, and we are so grateful to the pacers who helped them: Laura Foust with Alicia, Jeannette Pantani with Lamarr, Nathan went it alone and almost broke two hours (2:00.15!), Justin Andrews with Antonio, Jeff Dean (and Mer) with Momadi, Matt Campbell (and Mer) with Chuck. Abraham, LaDon and ChinaMan ran the 5k and killed it! It was LaDons first race ever, and Ive never seen such a big smile on someones face. He is the newest addition to our team, and an amazing person. Much gratitude to TrySports and Charlotte Country Days RunningWorks Club for the Cheer Station at Mile 9--it was definitely the most lively! If you were there, you were amazing. Also, many thanks to Run For Your Life for donating our many entries to the race, which would have been a huge hit for a small non-profit like ours. RFYL has been a huge support in the two-month lead up to the race also having a donation drive in September and October with our partner Ally Bank. Stay tuned to hear how Mamadi and Chuck fare post race furthering their job/housing goals and as we expand the mission to three more affiliates in our region. Look for ways to help because #RunningWorks. Photo Credits to Michaela Duckett, our super duper Principal Development Director, who has an eye for photography.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 20:31:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015