Runners in Airdrie will be happy to know the yearly Legacy Run to End Family Violence is returning this spring in full capacity, with the addition of a kid’s run for the first time.
The running event, in honour of late Airdrie resident Andrea Conroy, who lost her life on Feb. 21, 2012 at the age of 33 as a result of domestic violence, is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Money raised by the event will directly support Community Links and the free front-line programs and services for people in the Airdrie area who are impacted by family violence.
The half marathon, 10-kilometre (K), 5K, and kid’s race, all part of the event, take place on May 15 at Airdrie’s Ed Eggerer Athletic Park.
“It's a fun day to get out and do a run. Airdrie is nice because it's flat and if you don't run normally, it's a good way to start running because there's not a lot of hills in Airdrie” said Laurie Jacob-Toews, community engagement services manager at Community Links.
She said even those who aren’t runners should sign up and join, as the event is very family-friendly, welcoming, and supportive.
Looking back at the first year of the running event, Jacob-Toews recalled a woman who signed up for her first ever half-marathon.
“Our race director at the time, his son was on the trail bike and he stayed with her the entire time,” Jacob-Toews explained. “She had to walk for half of it, she was going to give up, and he kept coaching her and encouraging her. We all waited until she got across the finish line and there was a group of us that waited and cheered her on.”
While they do have top runners and official chip timing, she said the event is a safe and fun environment to try out running for the first time – even for those attempting their first half-marathon or even 5K event.
“We try to be really encouraging and make it so if it's your first time ever doing it, that you feel just as celebrated as the person who crosses the finish line first,” Jacob-Toews said.
But the event is about more than just medals and running, as the main goal is to raise funds and awareness for family violence organizations and build a support network for people.
The 5K run is called Andrea’s Run, which was originally started by the Airdrie Rotary Club.
When Community Links took over, their intention was to always keep the connection to Andrea as part of the run. One of Andrea's friends is still on the planning committee and her family and friends still attend races wearing matching shirts in her honour.
While Jacob-Toews didn’t know Andrea personally, she said Andrea was involved in the fitness community.
Recently, due to the pandemic, more people have been isolated at home, and Jacob-Toews noted there is always a concern and an increased risk of domestic violence when people are more isolated.
“I think that's why last year we decided to go ahead with a virtual event, because we wanted to make sure people were still aware that support was available,” Jacob-Toews said.
Participants last year had a two-week window in which they were tasked to share their run in a creative way.
According to the statistics, it will typically take someone living in a family violence situation seven attempts to leave until they're actually successful in staying out of the situation, Jacob-Toews said.
“We really took a spin on that to educate the [public] on that fact, and asked them to share their ‘seven’. Some people ran seven kilometres, some ran for seven minutes, some ran seven kilometres seven times per week, or one kilometre for seven days,” Jacob-Toews explained.
This virtual running challenge allowed people to decide for themselves what was impactful for them, she said.
Organizers for this year’s event are still looking for additional volunteers and sponsors.
To make the event successful, they will need over 100 volunteers helping at registration, directing runners on the course, serving drinks and food, and handing out medals at the finish line.
The organization already gained a podium sponsor but still has sponsor opportunities including the momentum for $3,000, the pace setter for $1,500, and the starting line for $500. Sponsors for swag bag items and give-aways for the participants are also still needed.
Around $8,000 was raised at the 2019 running event and Jacob-Toews hopes to increase that fundraising goal to $10,000 this year.
“Realistically we're not sure where the community is at. Raising money is part of it but it's also about raising awareness,” she said. “If we have a successful event and people get information and know where they can go for support, that's also a win in our books.”
Community Links offers free counselling services, including programming for children, a group called the Journey of Healing for women, and other supports, all for those impacted by family violence.
A wellness fund can also be used to support families for things like transportation or getting the locks changed in their house.
“If you're in an unsafe place or if you're not sure, you should always reach out for help and ask, there is help available,” Jacob-Toews said.
Early Bird registration is now open for all four races.
The half marathon starts at 7 a.m., followed by the 10K run at 7:30 a.m. and Andrea’s 5K Run at 7:45 a.m. The kid’s run starts at 9 a.m.
For more information on registration and fees, go to legacyrun.ca. Registration fees increase on March 1, and again on May 14, with the exception of the kid’s run.
