On a warm morning in June, 125 runners and walkers from all over gathered at Midwest Food Bank Georgia for the very First Annual Miles for Midwest 5K. In a sea of blue Miles for Midwest 5K shirts, there were laughter, hugs, and excitement.
The crowd was welcomed with opening remarks from Executive Director, Will Garner and assembled at the start line. With an air-horn blast at 8:15 a.m., the runners were off on a scenic course along the cart paths of Peachtree City. All along the route the runners and walkers were greeted by smiling Midwest Food Bank volunteers who helped direct them and cheer them on.
Justin Collins was the Men's Overall Winner, crossing the finish line first at 18:24. He was followed by the Under-18 Boy's Winner, Christian Neal at 20:37, the Women's Overall Winner, Kerry Taylor at 23:00, and Under-18 Girl's Winner, Aubrey Boston at 23:40.
Midwest Food Bank Georgia would like to thank all of the runners, walkers, volunteers, and sponsors who made the First Annual Miles for Midwest 5K a successful fundraiser. These include Cooper Lighting, New Hope Baptist Church, Fleet Feet, and Gladiator Fitness. A very special thank you to Mark Ward and George Martin from the Peachtree City Running Club for helping us take Miles for Midwest from concept to reality.
A huge thanks to the faithful volunteers that work tirelessly for the good of Midwest Food Bank Georgia. They set up before sunrise, manned the water stations, acted as course spotters, worked the registration table, cheered the runners, and stayed late to clean up. Without our volunteers, this fabulous first Miles for Midwest 5K could not have been a run-away success.