Elissa Collopy
eac001@marietta.edu
The second annual Caitlin’s Run 5K, open to both runners and walkers, will occur on Sunday, March 29th at 1 p.m. at Muskingum Park along the river.
Caitlin Yager was a Marietta College student who was full of joy, integrity and passion. She was involved with many organizations on campus, including the track and field and cross country teams. Caitlin was planning to spend the last two weeks of winter break in Nicaragua working with Bridges to Community, when she tragically died in a car accident in December 2013.
“She was involved in so much, and touched the lives and hearts of so many people,” Saleem-Tanner said. “On one hand, I think the fact that she was such an accomplished, powerful, positive person makes her loss even more tragic, but on the other hand it is an inspiration to all of us, reminding us of who and what we can be and how much we are capable of—as individuals and as a community.”
All proceeds of the run will contribute to The Caitlin Yager Memorial Prize Fund for an International Alternative Winter Break Experience, a fund to support MC students planning to participate in a service project as part of the International Alternative Winter Break Program.
Last year’s winners of Caitlin’s Prize, Laura Keating and Mollee Brown, are serving as the lead planning team for this year’s race. These students were able to travel to the Dominican Republic as recipients of Caitlin’s Prize.
“It’s a way that students can ‘pay it forward’ and keep the 5K a student-centered and student-run event,” Saleem-Tanner said.
On the trip that Caitlin had planned to be a part of, Bridges to Community worked with the students and faculty to create a plaque honoring Caitlin’s memory and placed it in the kitchen of the host family, where other service groups will stay in the future.
“The students on that trip decided what the plaque would say, and they chose the saying ‘The recipe for a good life is to make it with love,’” Saleem-Tanner said.
This year’s run will have similar aspects as last year’s, such as providing baked goods donated by the campus community to the racers and spectators, and collecting old sneakers/rubber soled shoes to be donated and recycled into playground surfacing materials.
However, this year’s run will have some new elements MC students and faculty felt would further embody the spirit of Caitlin.
“[The planning team] is collecting favorite sayings that people remember of Caitlin’s and creating signs to put up along the race course with those sayings,” Saleem-Tanner said. “They are also working on organizing a fun photo booth for race day, and encouraging participants to wear bright clothing (and smiles) to celebrate Caitlin’s life and spirit.”
Additional aspects include original, custom-designed medals for winners as well as the presence of a timing company to make sure all participants are able to get their official finishing times.
Awards will be given to the top three overall male and female finishers in running and walking categories, as well as the top two finishers in each age group for both categories. Registration cost is $20 for students and $25 for non-students, with the inclusion of a t-shirt.
Participants can mail registrations to Maribeth Saleem-Tanner or complete them online.
“The 5K to me is a powerful expression of love and hope from the Marietta College Community,” Saleem-Tanner said. “I think that taking a sad, terrible, difficult loss and responding to it by creating something beautiful and positive is a wonderful tribute to Caitlin.”
