Runners are increasingly turning to Arlington for a Saturday morning sprint around town thanks to the Arlington Runners Club.
The third annual Run for Hope benefiting Housing Hope attracted about 130 people with 89 runners, a record-breaking turnout.
“It was an amazing success,” said ARC president Jon Hatfield.
“It could be the largest 10K turnout in the history of Arlington Runners Club,” Hatfield said.
There were 43 finishers in the 10K event. In comparison, only 25 finished the 10K August race that started at Haller Park to support Cocoon House.
ARC plans five races each year, each one benefiting a different community service including the Marysville-based EagleWings disABILITY, Arlington’s Dollars for Scholars and the regional Cocoon House and Housing Hope and the final one of the year, Toys for Tots, coming up Dec. 13.
Before the Sept. 27 Run for Hope, Hatfield made a last minute plea for donations for the community food bank and managed to collect 35 pounds of food and $235.
A cash donation of $5 allows them to purchase 30 pounds of food so that means the runners essentially brought in 7,085 pounds of food, Hatfield said.
“We had fabulous weather as it started off cool but by the time the race began it was sunny and the perfect weather for running. Due to changes along the Airport Trail, we had to alter the course a bit to move the runners away from the construction areas, but it wasn’t too inconvenient. The most pesky part of the day was the bees swarming around. The bees were a nuisance, but, as far as I know, only got the better of one runner.”
The Stillaguamish Athletic Club hosted the race and with corporate sponsors and other donations they raised more than $1,500 for Housing Hope, and there’s still some checks in the mail, Hatfield said.
“We are so very pleased to have an opportunity to create a healthy activity for families to enjoy as well as to raise monies for such worthy organizations as Housing Hope.”
For information about Housing Hope and its projects that provide homes for low-income families throughout Snohomish County, see www.housinghope.org.
