The October issue of Runner’s World magazine, hailed as the largest globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all levels and backgrounds, offered readers a first-hand look into the local Freedom’s Run 5 race event that will take place Saturday, October 12th through the eyes of one of last year’s runners.
Race Director, Mark Cucuzzella, MD is thrilled with the national exposure and what it means for the race, “We couldn’t be happier with the exposure and attention given by Runner’s World magazine by having the Freedom’s Run event grace the pages of their October issue that recently hit newsstands and mailboxes all over the nation,” he said. “We hope this extra national coverage will extend our reach to runners outside of this region who do not yet know about the amazing course we have to offer and the unique cause that is attached to it.”
The layers of the past that the Freedom’s Run course uncovers trace from the days of early invention and discovery to the most brutal day in our country’s history. Runners will experience a living museum, preserved for our future generations in the 26 miles that wind through four national parks. The event celebrates history, community health and the soul of running, according to Cucuzzella.
“West Virginia is often viewed as an unhealthy place to live. Much of this opinion unfortunately comes from real data. We are the second most obese state and fiftieth when it comes to trails,” according to Cucuzzella. “Four years ago with the help of local partnerships we set out to change that. We set out to give opportunities in a small community by providing teaching, mentoring, opportunities, encouragement, and some nice trails for the setting. The goal was to spark cultural change, reattach children and families to nature and heritage, and produce mentors who will spread the themes deeper into each community. With the awareness, we needed funds to achieve large goals and thus, Freedom’s Run was born.”
The idea was to put on an event that gave citizens awareness of healthy living, promote outdoor activity, and in the process discover the rich history of the area- an event for health and heritage. A collaborative group, with volunteer staff from the Eastern Area Health Education Center, University Healthcare, the National Park Service, Shepherd University, local citizens and businesses, and Two Rivers Heritage Partnership, all teamed to create Freedom’s Run. We offer opportunity for all to engage in a new challenge with 5 different events: a 1 mile kids fun run, a 5k, a 10k, a half marathon, and a marathon. The race raises funds for fitness trail building in our local elementary schools and supports initiatives of health and heritage.
With more than 2,000 participants, Freedom’s Run is the largest running event in West Virginia. Thirty-seven states had runners who participated in the inaugural year, forty-two states in 2010, and forty-three states in 2011. The event has been awarded 2011, 2012, and 2013 Road Runners Club of America Regional Marathon Championship. More than $50,000 has directly gone back to the community and additional grants have been acquired with the assistance the race committee has given.
Interested runners can register on the website at www.freedomsrun.org.
