First 5K to benefit South County Habitat
KINGSTON, R.I. – March 28, 2014 – If you’re a runner living on or near the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston Campus, there is a new running course you may want to try. Shake-up your routine and take a run on URI’s new 5K course, which has been certified by United States Track and Field (USATF).
Emma Montague, a 2013 graduate of URI’s master’s program in College Student Personnel, thought an official 5K-certified running route would be a good way to address the large number of 5K requests URI often received. To get the course certified, it took the Office of Student Involvement about one year from start to finish with a strong assistance from the URI community overall. The course is USATF certified for 10 years.
“Student groups were using many routes, so Emma thought it would be a great idea to produce one solidified course that is highlighted and permanently marked,” said Sheri Davis, of URI’s Office of Student Involvement.
The “Pound the Pavement, Pound A Nail 5K Run, Walk, Mosey” for the South County Habitat for Humanity will be held Saturday, March 29, at 9 a.m. The event begins at the start of the course in front of Ranger Hall, 10 Ranger Road. The event is open to faculty, students, staff, and the South County community. For more information, visit 5K Run. Click here to register for the event.
The course, which can be found at course map, gives the runner a wonderful view of campus. The course is marked with five granite posts at the starting point on the Quadrangle, as well as at miles 1, 2, and 3 and the finish line.
“When the weather gets better, students can just go outside of their residence hall and go around the course and back to their hall. It’s convenient and will help get the health and wellness initiative to the community,” stated Tom Balestracci, who is pursuing his master’s degree in College Student Personnel, and is a graduate assistant for the Office of Student Involvement.
5K events are very popular. Next month, there will be three more opportunities to participate in 5Ks on URI’s course. For more information contact Sheri Davis at (401)-874-2214 or by e-mail at sdavis@uri.edu.
The other events are:
4/06 – Hope WaLKS (College of Pharmacy) noon-2 pm
4/13 – TKE- Greek Life – 10 am-noon
4/26 – Graduate Student Association 5K – 10 am-noon
Pictured above
READY TO RUN: From left, Kyle Scully of Wakefield, a 2014 doctoral candidate in neuroscience; Amanda Rode of Warwick, a member of the URI Student Senate and member of the Class of 2016; Tom Balestracci of Mystic Conn., who is seeking his master’s degree in college student personnel and serving as a graduate assistant in the Office of Student Involvement; and Karen Spaulding of Smithfield, a member of Chi Omega sorority and a member of the Class of 2015, strike a running pose at one of the new markers installed for new the 5K running course on the Kingston Campus certified by by United States Track and Field (USATF). URI photo by Nora Lewis.
Ashley Henry, an intern in Marketing and Communications and a communication studies major at URI, wrote this press release.