Course shows parallels of faith, running

inexperienced runners will begin by running for 60 seconds and walking for 90

By BOB CAMPBELL

Southeast Missourian

Acting on the belief that physical fitness enhances spiritual strength, a number of area people, perhaps more than 400, will be studying the Bible while training to run five- and 10-kilometer courses in this spring's annual Run for God program.

An organizational meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. March 24 in the fellowship hall of Lynwood Baptist Church at 2935 Lynwood Hills Drive, followed by 12 weeks of classes starting April 7 and culminating with the June 28 graduation, when participants from a half-dozen Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois groups demonstrate their newfound athletic prowess.

Set to join Kara Hecht to teach youth and adult classes at Lynwood, Scott McQuay said 1,600 churches and groups are involved in the national program. "Our main objective is to promote physical and spiritual endurance by showing the parallels of faith and running," McQuay said.

Locally McQuay said the agency is hoping to see an increase in the program.

"We had 330 people last year on graduation day, and we're hoping for 400 to 500 this year."

He said inexperienced runners will begin by running for 60 seconds and walking for 90, adding, "You can't go out and run five miles if you have never exercised before."

Fees are $20 for the textbook, $30 for the graduation run, with an optional one-mile walk also being staged, and $20 for a race shirt bearing the program logo. The proceeds will benefit Cape Girardeau's Love Inc. group and the Amen Center in Delta, Mo.

McQuay noted that the first Run for God was held at LaCroix United Methodist Church two years ago, the second that fall at Lynwood and the third last spring.

The Monday classes will entail a 30-minute workout, 30 minutes of scriptural study and a 30-minute "Running 101" session. Two optional group workouts will be held during the week.

This year's graduates will include students from LaCroix, where the first 10K classes will be conducted, Cape Girardeau Teen Challenge, Puxico and Bloomfield, Mo., and Anna-Jonesboro, Ill. The teacher at LaCroix will be Kim Mitchell.

More than 100 people attended the first class last year at Lynwood. Five kilometers are 3.1 miles and 10 kilometers 6.2 miles.

McQuay may be reached at 573-225-1781 or via runforgodcapegirardeau.com.

Fall 2012 graduate Tom Muir of Cape Girardeau will be in the 10K class at LaCroix United Methodist. "We all have strengths we don't tap into because we're not challenged," said Muir.

"I had played football and run the mile in high school, but when I started I couldn't run one-and-a-half minutes because it had been over 40 years since I tried. I'm 61 now, and it was amazing how I could run a 5K with the people around me encouraging me.

"My body had to catch up with what I was asking it to do."