by Haven Lewis–
On the morning of April 15, Hokies and supporters laced up their running shoes and took to Virginia Tech’s campus for the 9th annual Run in Remembrance.
The run was designed as a memorial event for the victims of the mass shooting that took place on campus on April 16, 2007. The 3.2 miles represent the 32 students and faculty who lost their lives.
Alison Cross, the director of Recreational Sports at Virginia Tech, along with the department, created the event as a way to bring the community together in a positive setting.
According to Huffington Post, there are 13 mental health benefits of running which include alleviated depression and anxiety and increased happiness.
It’s not only current Virginia Tech students and Blacksburg residents that attend the run. Alumni travel from all over the country – California, Arizona and Florida.
Krista Gwilliam, Fitness Coordinator of Rec Sports, says that planning begins in November with the implementation team’s weekly meetings.
The event has a leadership team for each area – registration, route marshals, route set up, marketing.
The marketing staff includes 11 Virginia Tech students who design t-shirts, hang posters throughout campus, manage social media and do all they can to get the word out.
Additionally, five different fitness student staff members make up a leadership team that handle different aspects of the race on the day of the event.
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