On April 21 thousands of elite runners and charity entrants will participate in the Boston Marathon. Current Republican presidential hopeful and former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee will be running in the famous race. He is joining Team Hoyt which is led by Dick and Rick Hoyt, a father-and-son team from Massachusetts. Even though son Rick is wheelchair bound the duo compete in marathons and other events all across the country.

Now here’s the real question…when Huckabee leaves the starting line in Boston four months from now will he still be in the Presidential race as well?

Last Saturday, January 19th, concerned citizens hit the streets of Athens, Ohio in the Good Works Sixth Annual Walk for the Homeless.  The event raised $32,000 for Timothy House, a homeless shelter in the area.

There were three different routes to choose from, one for children and two for adults.  Rather than just walking a route, participants were challenged to think about the plight of homeless.  Signs, videos and interactive activities were available.  The Athens Messenger reported:

The Kids Walk featured a homeless camp made up of former residents of the Timothy House who were there to tell their stories as kids asked questions. “Children are the next generation of decision-makers on issues that matter to the poor,” Wasserman said. “Children have a pure motivation that’s not encumbered by politics.”

“It was amazing how the people were so articulate, kind and willing to share their stories,” said Jamie Linscott, an adult volunteer who went on the Kids Walk. “They didn’t fit any stereotypes of homelessness and poverty. It made it real, but not scary for the kids.”

This year the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, one of the first endurance events benefiting a charitable cause, celebrates its 20th Anniversary. I participated in TNT in 2001 and walked the Anchorage Alaska Marathon. In fact this is what I had to say about the program:

While I had walked 5K’s and done other type of fundraising, Team in Training is what really got me hooked on fundraising events. There are so many great things about TNT, I cannot begin to describe it!

Crossing the finish line at that marathon is still one of the best moments of my life. Even though I have done other events since then that was my first biggie and will always be remembered fondly. It impacts the participants and most importantly helps the Society make strides in research and services for people going through Leukemia & Lymphoma.

Check out this video that shows the history and impact that the program has made.

Find out more at the TNT 20th Anniversary website.

The Corona del Mar, California charity CureDuchenne had a team running in the O.C. Marathon this past Sunday. The team of about 70 runners represented the charity wearing neon green capes.

Debra and Paul Miller founded CureDuchenne after their son was diagnosed with the Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2002.

According to The Daily Pilot (Newport Beach & Costa Mesa, California):

CureDuchenne raised about $45,000 last year, making it the top charity fundraiser to participate in the marathon. “We were so pumped last year and so hyped up. It was really a fantastic feeling,” [Debra] Miller said.

The CureDuchenne Crusader program actually lets parents and other supporters choose whichever sport they enjoy to raise funds for the cause. Whether it’s running, soccer, bowling, tennis or anything else… Crusader can choose their own sport and have fun supporting a cure for this disease.

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America has a new athletic program called Team Challenge. This endurance training program sends people to exotic locales to run or walk in half marathons.

Participants commit to raising funds to help find cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and the Foundation commits to covering the costs of their transportation, accommodations, race entry fees, and entertainment. Read more… »

This Christmas season a record number of runners turned up dressed as Santa at fun runs in cities on either side of the Atlantic. Several cities were aiming to break the world record for Largest Santa Gathering. So which one took the prize?

On Saturday, December 1st the Las Vegas Great Santa Run was first out of the gate with 7,269 enthusiastic participants. You can even view the gunshot start with thanks to the complete running network, who have reposted the YouTube video of the event. Read more… »

Here’s another amazing charity walk story, this time from Ireland. Pollyanne Hooley recently finished a 387 mile trek from Dublin to Glenbeigh in 24 days. She did this to raise money for The Smile Train, an international charity that provides surgery for children who suffer from cleft lip and palate.

As quoted in the Malvern Gazette, Ms. Hooley said:

I had a brilliant time, and met some lovely and incredibly generous people. What a simple way to live, just sleeping, walking and eating, with a little drinking from time to time.

She raised funds from family and friends and used a JustGiving page so that people could donate online. Through these efforts $5,000 was raised for The Smile Train.