By Sherri Blevins
June 15, 2019, is the date for the eleventh annual Freedom Run 5 & 10K held in Rainsville, Alabama. This event is not only a race, but it is an opportunity for people from all over the world to come together in a small town atmosphere to share a day filled with exercise, community spirit, and an opportunity to improve the lives of those less fortunate through the money raised from the event. Over the past ten years, the race committee has donated $250,000.00 to charities from the race proceeds collected.
The Summit, located in Fort Payne, Alabama, is one of the local charities that benefit from the race. It is a faith-based twelve-month residential intensive discipleship program for women struggling with life-controlling problems. Other charities benefitting from the race include Running for Uganda which provides clean water for communities in Uganda, Running for Joy which supports children with cancer, Kids Bolt which sponsors a kids only race in Gadsden designed to give kids a true racing experience and foster a love for running, Turning Point Pregnancy Center, and DeKalb County Animal Shelter. Being a race participant may help others more than it helps the individual racing.
Mountain Valley News spoke with Jerry Clifton, spokesperson for the race, and he revealed some exciting information. The Freedom Run Course will now be considered an official Certified Course by the National Running Association. This classification will be an advantage for those runners who participate in several runs across the country.
It is not too late for runners or walkers to register. Online registration is open until June 13, 2019. The cost is $35.00 since the pre-registration period has passed. The first 500 registered runners will receive a race bag filled with surprises plus an eleventh-anniversary dry-fit shirt. In the past, the committee has awarded items worth $7000.00 in “door prizes” to those involved, and the tradition will continue this year.
The top five finishers in the 10K run will receive a total of $3000.00 in prize money with first place collecting $1000.00, second place $800.00, third place $600.00, fourth place $400.00, and fifth place $200.00. The top five 5K finishers will receive a total of $1,600.00 in prize money with first place receiving $600.00, second place $400.00, third place $300.00, fourth place $200.00, and fifth place $100.00.
When asked what he liked most about the event itself, Clifton responded, “I like to see the way all our communities on Sand Mountain come together to make the race what it is today. I may be the face of the race being the director, but we have a lot of people who contribute some really serious money to put this thing on. Also, on the night before the race and the day of the race, we have over one hundred volunteers donating their time for the event. Another important contributor is Broadway Baptist Church. They provide the starting location, registration area, and awards presentation spot for us to use. If there ever comes a day when Broadway says we can no longer use their facility, we will have to stop having it.”
For more information about the race, visit rainsvillefreedomfest.raceonline.com.
