By: Mat Cloak
The Parsons Advocate
Saturday morning in Davis saw an influx of cars entering town and few cars leaving as racers warmed up for what would be the largest Run for It in its nine years of existence. This year’s race brought the largest number of participants, raised the largest amount of money, and set a new 5K race record.
As participants rolled into town, they congregated with their teams, often denoted by uniquely designed team shirts. In fact, the Tucker County Runners even won an award for best team T-shirt. Both participants in Run For It and those enjoying the Leaf Peepers Festival commented that the joint events offer a reunion for families and for the community.
In 2007, the Tour of Davis segued into Run for It. With that transition, the event evolved into a community fundraiser managed by the Tucker Community Foundation, enhancing the race itself as well as the motivation behind the race. When participants registered with the $10 entry fee, $5 went to the cause of their choice and the other $5 to Tucker Community Foundation. Teams included a variety of community organizations including Heart of the Highlands, Philippi Public Library Bookworms, and Preston County Humane Society.
Diane Hinkle, Development Director of Tucker Community Foundation, was inspired by Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities in Jackson Hole, Wyo. With the Fun Run in mind, Run for It grew roots in the community, developing into a substantial regional fundraiser spanning across many different, yet connected, communities.
Fundraising for the race is operated as a leveraging program, which means that every dollar a team raises for their cause, leverages them a chance to win the award money. Essentially, the more a team raises, the more of a chance their team has to win more of the award money. The campaign to assemble teams and raise money is a yearlong campaign, and many teams use this event as their primary fundraiser.
While the race developed in size, Tucker Community Foundation also developed its own fundraising abilities. The race’s first year saw an award purse of $14,000. The award purse this year was $95,000. “The race sponsors are phenomenal,” Hinkle said.
This year, Tucker Community Foundation began the pot of award money with $15,000. The McDonough Foundation contributed $20,000, and the 7 County Commissions associated with the race added $26,000. Eighty other race sponsors filled in the gaps from there.
Before the large sum was doled out, the race took take place. The 5K race began with a gunshot sound off at 11 a.m. The race route circled the streets of Davis that were lively with race officials monitoring for rule infractions, onlookers cheering, drones buzzing overhead, and farm stands selling the season’s surplus. Each runner had a chip in their bib that clocked their time.
As the last 5K runner made it to Stumptown Ales, another shot rang to begin the 2K walk. The 2K was not timed, whoever finished first won. Haley Gillespie won the Fastest Female Walker category the last three years. “It’s always a little nerve-wracking,” Gillespie said. “You never know who is out there.” Gillespie’s team was the Rotary Club in Oakland.
As the runners blazed through the late morning heat, a band leisurely played music near the back of the walking group. Families with strollers and dogs rounded out the mix of this year’s participants. There were three water stops operated by volunteers along the route.
As the race utilized the streets, state and local police helped manage those hoping to still travel by vehicle. Cpl. J. E. Kopec has worked Run for It and Leaf Peepers for five years. “There are more people I’ve seen this year than any other,” he said. “It’s been an absolutely perfect year so far.” William Ave. was totally shut down for about 30 minutes.
After all the racers cleared the streets, there was about an hour before the award ceremony. This gave the more competitive an opportunity to speculate on times and standings, and those less so an opportunity to sample the local flavors.
Attempting to get the crowd energized, an announcer on stage asked the crowd, “Do you want the money?!” The game show style music was cued, and the awards began rolling out.
Clocking in at just a fraction of a second over 17 minutes, and therefore setting a new race record, Matt Bright was the overall winner of the 5K. Jason Pyles and Robert Smith podium finished as number 2 and 3, respectively. The top three females for the 5K from first to third were Katie Wolpert, Kerry Conway, and Charlotte Johnson. The fastest male 2K walker was Brian Zirk. The fastest female 2K walker was Jennifer Friend. The youngest participant for this year’s race was 1 month old. In contrast, the oldest was 97 years old.
As the clock stopped after all the racers crossed the finish line, the clock began for teams to assemble and raise money for next year.
