The Watauga Youth Run:
Making a Difference is Only 35.2 Miles Away
I had the pleasure of meeting Matt Jenkins over a year ago when he drove down from North Carolina to run the inaugural Make It By Midnight Marathon. With his friendly nature, numerous tattoos, and (so the ladies tell me) extreme good looks he made quite the impression on everyone at the race. He wound up winning Make It By Midnight – and winning many new friends as well.
Over the next year I ran into Matt regularly. Since we are both Marathon Maniacs and serial ultramarathoners, we were bound to wind up running together again. He waited after his finish at the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon to cheer me home to a PR. I returned the favor at Museum of Aviation when he was having a rough day. We both ran endless laps around the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in 90 degree weather during the brutal Hot to Trot 8-Hour Race.
We are also regular readers of each others' running blogs. I am always fascinated by Matt’s tales of running marathons barefoot or in socks. Matt is a former marine and likes to make things as extreme for himself as possible. He also enjoys the attention – much as I do in my career in the theatre.
I was not surprised to read on Matt’s blog that he was planning to run three races totaling over a hundred miles on three consecutive Sundays in August. What did catch my attention was the cause. Matt works for Western Youth Network (WYN), an organization that provides after-school programs for middle school students in Watauga County, North Carolina. WYN is facing quite a dilemma: grants they rely on to keep afloat – totaling more than $100,000 – have been eliminated. Similar organizations in North Carolina closed their doors when the cuts came down. WYN is trying to keep its doors open, trying to continue serving the children of Watauga County. Matt’s three runs were designed to raise money for WYN and, more importantly, raise awareness of the crisis the organization is facing. Inspired by similar runs across the country, Matt designed a route that would take him to every school and site served by WYN across the county. The first day would take him 20.2 miles to the two major sites used for the after school programs. The next Sunday would tour the schools on the east side of Watauga to the tune of 35.3 miles. The final day would finish the school tour with 53.2 miles to the schools in the west. If that wasn’t hard enough, the runs would be done on busy roads with no street closures with limited aid spread out in some cases more than 9 miles apart. Watauga County is the home of Boone – and its mountains – so the courses would be difficult indeed.
I was moved by the cause and Matt’s efforts to help. As an educator I felt deeply the need for the services WYN provides. I have also been re-evaluating myself as a runner lately. I feel that I am too selfish, not volunteering enough, relying on the good nature of others for my hobby to flourish. For once, I wanted to fully help with a cause in which I believed. I contacted Matt and told him I wanted to run with him. I offered to run either the 35.3 or 53.2 mile legs. Matt, being quite worried about the safety of the 53.2, encouraged me to run the dangerous (but less suicidal) 35.3 miler.
On Saturday, August 22, I made the 6+ hour journey to Boone, NC. Matt took my three drop bags to schools at roughly 9-mile intervals. I tried to get some sleep and prepare myself for the rigors of the run ahead.
I was surprised to find that I was the only person running the full distance with Matt. Other people had committed only to back out again. I know Matt didn’t blame them. The course, in theory, looked brutal: massive elevation drops and gains, busy roads, limited sidewalks and narrow shoulders, and a huge number of people in town as students returned to the local Appalachian State University. At 7:00 AM Matt and I ran up the first of many hills away from the WYN Headquarters and through the beautiful college town atmosphere of Boone.
I am not used to running with someone. I train alone and rarely feel comfortable even pacing with someone in a race. Yet the purpose of this run was to be a visible group moving through the county with an important cause to share. As Matt and I ran the difficult climb up to Blowing Rock, NC, we talked constantly. The miles flew by. I could not believe how fast we were running – and how easily the hills were disappearing behind us. Matt and I both apparently have a similar problem with pride and stubbornness. Neither of us was willing to let the other know when we needed to slow down. When we realized we were doing this, we laughed about it and started owning up to needing breaks now and then. Still, we cruised into the first school way ahead of schedule.
We were joined there by Ronnie and Gina Holste, a husband and wife training for a half-marathon. Ronnie works with Matt at WYN and had wisely planned to run the most downhill leg with us. The camaraderie was amazing as we sped down the hills, dodging traffic and enjoying the cool mountain air. The Holstes got caught up in the excitement of the run and ran past their parked car and on with us to the next school.
For the remainder of the run, Matt and I largely ran alone. I was struck by the differences in the schools we visited: from the beautiful facility in the resort town to the rural charter school on the gravel road with portable classrooms, all of these places share a need that WYN fulfills.
As we ran the final 8 miles to the finish I watched the reactions of the people around us. Some seemed impressed by these two crazy men running up the mountain – especially the one with the tattoos without shoes. Every now and then a driver would call to us or someone would drive by cheering. A small group was waiting outside a natural grocery store to boisterously cheer us on to the finish.
Matt encouraged me to sprint on ahead at the finish. He wanted me to be the first finisher in his race much as he had been the first finisher of Make It By Midnight. I accepted the honor, but felt that he really should have been the first across.
This was one of the most unusual races of my life. Only two people ran the entire distance. Very few people watched it. Most probably thought it was just two guys with a running death wish. Only two people were at the finish line – and one was Shannon, Matt’s wife. Yet this run has caught the attention of many people. Matt has raised more than $4,000 for WYN through donations. Numerous television and newspaper interviews have spread the word further. With still the 53.2 miler to go, Matt’s dream of running to bring hope to WYN seems to be a success.
During the run Matt talked about doing the race again next year. He’s considering running across the state of North Carolina as well to focus attention on the dwindling funding for after school programs. I am sure with the heart and determination of Matt and the wonderful people he works with, WYN will be around to serve the children of Watauga County for years to come. I was honored to be part of their cause for one very special Sunday.
