Photo By Amy Redmond | A runner dressed in a Gumby costume crosses the five-mile mark in the 13th annual St....... read more read more
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - More than 30,000 participants, including several Nashville District employees, crossed the finish line early Saturday morning in the 13th annual St. Jude Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon presented by Nissan.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said during the race week press conference that participants would come from far and wide. “Runners will be coming from all 50 states and more than 26 countries,” he said.
Locally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers represented the district well, and each runner had their own motivations for participating.
“This will be my first half marathon - longest I've ever run,” said Ramune Morales, planning project manager. “[I] started running casually after I started with the corps just to stay active. Then Amanda [Burt, planning project manager] convinced me to run a 5k with her and after that I was hooked.”
“It’s addictive,” said Russ Rote, project planning chief. “I have run five marathons and scores of half marathons; however, this is my first Country Music.”
Lining the entire course, runners were kept motivated by the cheers of thousands of spectators, 50 live bands, and several local cheerleading squads.
Zach Corlew, mechanical engineer, said, “[This race] really keeps you motivated and makes you not realize how far or long you are running.”
Some were running to raise money to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their mission of finding cures and saving children’s lives. Many runners were running for other reasons that were close to their heart.
“I'm also running for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy,” said Tadd Potter, fish and wildlife biologist. “I have a close friend who has two wonderful sons, Jonah and Emory, who were diagnosed with DMD in 2009. He and his wife have committed themselves to raising money to help find a cure for this incurable genetic disease. They started the Fighting Duchenne Foundation [www.fightdmd.com] to fight for kids all over the world that have this disease. I'll be running for Jonah and Emory who can't run for themselves.”
Sadly Potter did not finish the half marathon. Between mile 11 and 12, Potter blacked out due to dehydration and was taken to Nashville General Hospital. After having two bags of fluids pumped into his system he was discharged.
Potter said that it was unfortunate, but he should have listened to his body better.
“I told my wife, there is always next year,” said Potter.
Recounting her race, Burt said she felt fine until she hit a wall at about mile nine. Her body felt fine, but she had zero energy.
“It was definitely a fun race - nice course, good support, well organized,” said Burt. “I definitely will not ever run a full marathon. I'm only half crazy.”
Other Nashville District employees that trained hard and finished strong in the Country Music Half Marathon were Jamie James, planning project manager, Porter Williams, planning project manager, and Clint Neel, hydraulic engineer.
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| Date Taken: | 04.28.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2012 18:44 |
| Story ID: | 87630 |
| Location: | NASHVILLE, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 169 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Nashville District employees rocked, ran in St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon, by Amy Redmond, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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