All of us that run races have experienced a race or two or three that hold a special place in our heart. Each of them hold that place for different reasons. Maybe we set a new P.R. last year, or it was the first race we ever ran. Maybe we have a special memory that set that race apart from the others, etc. etc. etc.
I have one of these races approaching in August. It's not a big race, typically there is less than 100 particpants in the 5k race. But, this race holds a special place in my heart for a reason not related to me but for the person the race is named after. The race is the Jeremy Wright Memorial 5k.
Jeremy grew up in rural Shelby County, Indiana as did I, however he attended Southwestern and I attended Triton. We were on rival teams growing up, but as our teams competed I did admire him. He was a great distance runner and a tremendous competitor. Not to mention that he was much faster than myself. After High School I went on to do my thing, and so did he.
Jeremy went on to Wabash College where he was the the most decorated distance runner in Wabash athletics history, and was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. Wright was a two-time All-American cross country runner, First Team Academic All- American, NCAA Great Lakes Regional champion in 1993 and Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference cross country Most Valuable Runner in 1993 and 1995. He won a total of seven ICAC distance-running championships, including three in the 10,000 meters, two in cross country and two in the 5,000-meter run. Then after college in the late 1990s, Wright's trail running achievements piled high. He was a two-time champion of the Pikes Peak Ascent (Colorado Springs, Colorado), a half-marathon climb to the summit of 14,110-foot Pikes Peak, and claimed many major snowshoe championships. Most remarkably, Wright represented his country on the U.S. Mountain Running Team four straight years, from 1998 to 2001.
Then after September 11th of 2001, he enlisted in the US Army, and went on to become a Green Beret. He was stationed in Afghanistan where he would continue to run up mountains. However on January 3rd 2005 Jeremy's Humvee was struck by a roadside bomb and a great runner, and patriot was killed.
As a way to honor what he meant to running, and those that loved him every year since 2006 there is a 5k run in his hometown. Proceeds go to fund a couple of different scholarships. For me this race is a time that I remember Jeremy and it's a way for me to honor the sacrifice he and his family have made.
Here are some additional links about Jeremy Wright, and if you're in the area in August I urge you to join this race.
http://jeremywright5k.com/
http://www.trailrunnermag.com/article.php?id=76&cat=10
http://runningtimes.com/Print.aspx?articleID=4347
http://www.wabash.edu/news/displaystory.cfm?news_ID=2116
I have one of these races approaching in August. It's not a big race, typically there is less than 100 particpants in the 5k race. But, this race holds a special place in my heart for a reason not related to me but for the person the race is named after. The race is the Jeremy Wright Memorial 5k.
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| Jeremy Wright at Wabash College |
Jeremy grew up in rural Shelby County, Indiana as did I, however he attended Southwestern and I attended Triton. We were on rival teams growing up, but as our teams competed I did admire him. He was a great distance runner and a tremendous competitor. Not to mention that he was much faster than myself. After High School I went on to do my thing, and so did he.
Jeremy went on to Wabash College where he was the the most decorated distance runner in Wabash athletics history, and was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. Wright was a two-time All-American cross country runner, First Team Academic All- American, NCAA Great Lakes Regional champion in 1993 and Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference cross country Most Valuable Runner in 1993 and 1995. He won a total of seven ICAC distance-running championships, including three in the 10,000 meters, two in cross country and two in the 5,000-meter run. Then after college in the late 1990s, Wright's trail running achievements piled high. He was a two-time champion of the Pikes Peak Ascent (Colorado Springs, Colorado), a half-marathon climb to the summit of 14,110-foot Pikes Peak, and claimed many major snowshoe championships. Most remarkably, Wright represented his country on the U.S. Mountain Running Team four straight years, from 1998 to 2001.
Then after September 11th of 2001, he enlisted in the US Army, and went on to become a Green Beret. He was stationed in Afghanistan where he would continue to run up mountains. However on January 3rd 2005 Jeremy's Humvee was struck by a roadside bomb and a great runner, and patriot was killed.
As a way to honor what he meant to running, and those that loved him every year since 2006 there is a 5k run in his hometown. Proceeds go to fund a couple of different scholarships. For me this race is a time that I remember Jeremy and it's a way for me to honor the sacrifice he and his family have made.
Here are some additional links about Jeremy Wright, and if you're in the area in August I urge you to join this race.
http://jeremywright5k.com/
http://www.trailrunnermag.com/article.php?id=76&cat=10
http://runningtimes.com/Print.aspx?articleID=4347
http://www.wabash.edu/news/displaystory.cfm?news_ID=2116
