WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — This weekend, you have a chance to stay on track with that New Year's resolution of getting healthier by pounding the pavement in the 24th annual Run for Aviation, sponsored by the Museum of Aviation Foundation.
This year, the event has 777 runners registered, and they are expecting possibly another 100 on Saturday, depending on the weather.
Mike Trotter is one of the organizers for the 24th Annual Run for Aviation, and he says there's something for everybody, including a beginner and the weekend warrior -- including a 5K, a half marathon, a full 26.2 marathon, and also 15 handicapped, paralyzed veterans doing the hand cycles as well.
It's an event dedicated to help raise funds to keep the museum up and running.
“We usually net some 80K, which is great for our museum,” says Trotter. “Supporting our education programs, also our restoration programs, bringing in different aircraft that we constantly keep updated. It costs a lot. The government doesn't pay for all of it, so we go out and raise money, and this is one of our fundraisers to that.”
And once you are in the middle of the pack, expect to see a lot of faces familiar and some not so much, because this race also attracts an international crowd.
Trotter explains, “We have people from all over the world -- we have people from Australia, we have people from Denmark. We have people from all over the country -- California, Washington State, the upper Midwest, and Chicago. A lot of people want to escape the snow and come and run here where it’s a bit nicer.”
Race times begin Saturday morning at 7:50 a.m. for hand cyclists, 8 a.m. for the marathon, 8:15 a.m. for the half marathon, and at 8:30 a.m., the 5K will begin.
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