Luke Mrozek
The 14th annual half marathon AthHalf will be held this Sunday morning, the runners are also gearing up to participate in the 13.1 mile race. The course path will start downtown, leading the runners through the surrounding, historic neighborhoods, and into the University of Georgia’s campus. The runners will then cross the finish line at Sanford Stadium.
This is the 14th year that AthHalf Educates, a nonprofit organization, has produced AthHalf as a fundraiser. However, there is a deeper cause, runners must pay an entry fee or be sponsored by a local business. The money from sponsors and the fees will be used to enhance the arts and music programs of kids in K-12 within the local schools.
“I think just the Athens community in general benefits from it. Plenty of students are running it, and plenty of Athens locals are running it, and I think it’s a great event to bring us together,” said Bodie Blackwell, a first-time participant in this year’s AthHalf.
Blackwell also highlighted the elements of the course itself, stating that there are many hills, and revealed he has researched the elevation gains and losses throughout the race.
Despite the hills he will have to endure, “It always feels good when you finish your run,” Blackwell said.
“I don’t have a whole lot of skills in life, I like running, I like running shoes, helping people get active, anyway I can find through that to give back to the community, that’s a win,” said Dustin Shinholser, the owner of Fleet Feet, a running shoe store. They are one of the sponsors of AthHalf this year.
Running, fundraiser, non-profit, arts and music
Why I Wrote the Story:
I wrote this story to inform readers about AthHalf. Aside from the half-marathon itself, AthHalf has a deep community meaning in how it benefits local children and the city itself.