Competing in Sanford Stadium is a dream few thought they could achieve. That changed for many runners as they ran their final lap beside the hedges to the finish line.
The AthHalf gives runners of all ages the opportunity to run through Athens. The route guides runners though several of the city’s distinct locations. The race encompasses Milledge Avenue, Five Points, Bear Hollow Zoo and ends with a victory lap through Sanford Stadium.
Mary Lollis Jones, a junior at the University of Georgia studying agribusiness, participated in the AthHalf for the first time in 2013. Although Jones did not train extensively, she fondly recalls the race as one of her best moments in Athens.
“The feeling is indescribable,” Jones said in an interview. “I think everyone should do one if you have never done one.”
(Status used with permission of Mary Lollis Jones.)
Since 2009 the AthHalf has been a prominent fundraiser and half marathon for the city of Athens. According the AthHalf website, the race occurs every October bringing in thousands of runners.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the main purpose of the organization is to promote excitement and involvement for music and the arts.
The AthHalf is a fundraiser under the larger nonprofit AthFest Educates. AthFest Educates aims to give to programs involved with increasing the artistic and cultural opportunities within Athens-Clarke County.
According to a report by the Athens-Banner Herald, AthFest Educates has given more than $190,000 in monetary assistance so far.
The AthHalf affects the economy of Athens in different ways. According to Flagpole magazine, the Athens Downtown Development Authority refused to give funding for the race in 2013. In an interview, Jared Bailey, Athens-Clarke County commissioner and former Executive Director of AthFest Educates stated he was disappointed by the decision.
“I’d like to see us put a little more into events because, as you know, events create tourism, and tourism is economic development,” commented Bailey.
The last AthHalf occurred Oct. 9, 2016, and this year will mark the eighth year of the AthHalf.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Jones said. “It’s truly a milestone that everyone needs to complete.”