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On April 13, the Sports Backers will celebrate a milestone: the 20th Annual Monument Avenue 10k.
But the organization has already celebrated the occasion, after marking a related milestone in December – the 500,000th 10k registered participant.
Sara Graf of Henrico was unaware she made history when she signed up that month. But on Dec. 12, event organizers and sponsors surprised her with the news at her office at Estes Express Lines, where she is director of employee engagement and communication. Among her many gifts were free lifetime entry into the 10k and a custom cake from event sponsor Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods.
A Short Pump resident, Graf will be participating in her third 10k this year, and says she especially enjoys the family-friendly nature of the event as well as the community support. At a 10k Media Day held Jan. 8 at Ukrop's, she said that she plans to run with her husband and son -- at least to start.
"My son is very fast," she noted, "so he'll be at the front of the pack. I'll be at the back."
Another Henrico resident, Ukrop's president Scott Aronson, told the Media Day crowd that his family of six will participate as a family as well.
"The oldest has aged out of the [Virginia529] Kids Run," Aronson said, "so we are all going to run the 10k."
He laughed as he described a New Year's Day attempt at a family training run, and noted that staying together may be a challenge.
"We're looking for someone who can pace the nine-year-old. My wife and I can't keep up!"
Kristin Jacobs, who lives in Pine Run in western Henrico, will be running her 20th 10k. She had never run much before the first 10k in 2000, but her workout buddy at the Y – a friend since high school – badgered her into signing up.
"Then she showed up the day before with a pair of running shorts for me," Jacobs recalled with a laugh.
Although she had not really trained, Jacobs does not remember struggling to finish that first 10k. "I grew up in Richmond," she said, "so my main memory is my amazement to see Monument Avenue closed down!
"I didn't care about my time," Jacobs added. "I was just so proud I did it."
From then on, she was hooked on running; she has since run 16 marathons. She and her husband, Drew, organized the Gayton E.S. Running Club, and their three children have all participated in the sport. Daughter Mary Kate, a sixth grader at Pocahontas M.S., regularly runs the 10k with her mom.
At Media Day, Jacobs mentioned that she recently wrote the 10k organizers a note of appreciation for the role they played in introducing her to so much enjoyment. She marvels at the way that getting involved in the 2000 event developed into a lifelong passion that she can share with her family, her children's school and her community.
"It just grew," she said gratefully of that first step into the first 10k. "It multiplied!"
For details about the 10k, or to register, visit sportsbackers.org.
