Races provide opportunities to better the community

January 1, 2017

12:00 AM

If you’re looking for an inspiration to get off the couch, benefit runs might be just the thing.

Not only do 5Ks, marathons and other races provide specific goals to work toward, but they often give back to the community or charitable groups. Benefit runs take place throughout the year – yes, even in the cold – so you can sign up now, if you wish.

But if you need some time to prepare, you might set your sights on an event later in 2017. Here’s a look at two unique benefit runs to start training for now.

Orthopedic ONE Spirit Sprint 5K

Orthopedic ONE Spirit Sprint. Photo by Micheal R. Wass

For parents, teachers and school administrators, the scaling back of extracurricular activities has grown into a notable concern.

When Orthopedic ONE decided to find a way to give back to the community, extracurriculars seemed like an easy place to start.

“It was a very obvious cause that we thought we could make a big impact (by fundraising) right in the communities that we live and work in,” says Dr. Joel Politi of Orthopedic ONE.

Politi and Orthopedic ONE began the Spirit Sprint 5K in 2010 with the goal of fundraising money to support schools’ extracurricular activities.

Schools that sign up to participate are encouraged to register as many racers as possible. Orthopedic ONE and its sponsors cover all costs of the event, so the schools take home 100 percent of their registrants’ entry fees.

“The more challenging part has been to make schools realize that this is such an easy fundraising event,” Politi says. “Once they realize it, they keep coming back.”

The growth is clear: The first year attracted a couple hundred participants, and this past year, roughly 1,200 people registered. Schools typically return after participating the previous year, Politi says; Gahanna-Lincoln and Reynoldsburg high schools have both participated since the first event.

Photo courtesy of Orthopedic ONE Spirit Sprint

Over the span of seven years, the event has raised more than $125,000, more than $40,000 of it from the 2016 race.

In addition to entry fees, Orthopedic ONE awards prize money to the school with the most spirit. Spirit points are awarded to schools for registrants and additional spirit brought to the event, such as cheerleading squads, mascots or bands. The 2016 prize money totaled $10,000.

“When you go to a high school football game or you go to a high school sporting event, there’s a very natural spirit that’s built into that,” Politi says. “That’s kind of what we’re trying to capture.”

This past year’s winner, Bexley High School, took home more than $17,000.

Bexley received significant support from the school’s music parents and plans to put the money into music programs. Other schools have invested in cutting down fees to participate in athletics and in buying new uniforms.

“Schools are so very appreciative of this money,” Politi says. “In a day of decreased funding and difficulty in fundraising, this is a very easy fundraiser for them.”

Those interested in participating should save the date for Oct. 8, and can contact spiritsprint5k@orthopedicone.com for more details. General information can be found at www.orthopedicone.com/spirit-sprint.

Marathon Ambassador Exchange Program

Photo courtesy of Paul Carringer

Running takes you places – quite literally, in the case of Greater Columbus Sister Cities International and its Marathon Exchange program.

Beginning with Dresden, Germany and later expanding to Hefei, China and Curitiba, Brazil, the Marathon Exchange provides runners with an opportunity to participate in foreign races and additional cultural experiences.

“It’s travel with purpose, and the purpose is mindfully trying to connect our citizens with the citizens of our sister cities in meaningful and deep ways,” says Tim Sword, president of Columbus Sister Cities. “These aren’t (experiences) you’re going to get on vacation.”

The Marathon Exchange program helps to waive entry fees and minimize travel costs for participating ambassadors. Visiting ambassadors participate in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon, while local ambassadors participate in similar marathons in the sister cities.

In 2016, the program welcomed six ambassadors from sister cities and supported 11 local ambassadors’ trips.

“Connecting people who have a shared interest already makes a lot of sense,” says Sword. “This one just happens to be running.”

Ambassadors may initially form bonds over their racing history, Sword says, and continue to build connections from there. The organization around marathons provides a platform to work logistics around, simplifying the planning of the trips.

Photo courtesy of Paul Carringer

The program connects each participating ambassador to a homestay and typically arranges for a tour of the city and opportunities to take part in surrounding events and interact with the local community.

“We’re not just looking to promote running; we’re also looking to promote people,” Sword says.

The ambassador selection process typically begins in March or April. Volunteers form committees for each sister city involved in the exchange to select local ambassadors, and plan experiences for ambassadors coming from the sister cities.

Columbus Sister Cities looks for runners who can build connections during the program and also share their stories upon returning.

“We’re not looking for people to win the races, necessarily,” Sword said. “We’re looking for people who will help facilitate even more connections.”

Columbus Sister Cities plans to offer the exchange program for Dresden, Hefei, and Curitiba again this year, but hopes to expand to one more of Columbus’ seven other sister cities: Accra, Ghana; Ahmedabad, India; Genoa, Italy; Herzliya, Israel; Odense, Denmark; Seville, Spain; and Tainan City, Taiwan.

“This type of exchange is a model that could be copied or modified for other types of exchanges,” Sword says. “It’s limitless how we can connect with our sister cities, but it does take leadership and initiative. Maybe that’s something that runners are just pre-loaded to have.”

More information can be found at www.columbussistercities.com.