Rutgers Marathon

The day started out it was dark, a little chilly, and terribly early. However, the 23 volunteers from HOPE Club who came on the field trip were pleasantly surprised to see how fun the Rutgers Marathon could be.

The event, held on April 14, 2019 and hosted by Rutgers University was a UNITE Half Marathon, and our Morris Hills HOPE Club played an important role in making it a "splashing" success. The race drew a wide variety of athletes representing many different levels of running and racing experience, as well as some who walk all or part of the courses, and there was no shortage of beginners, aiming for their first half-marathon or 8k finishes. Through being responsible for a water stations, we cheered on the racers right from the beginning, encouraging them to keep fighting and stay hydrated throughout the race. Best of all, a sponsor donated $25 on behalf of every volunteer to came to help out to Cookies for Kids' Cancer!

Sure--it got hectic when the racers came by to grab a cup of water (or rather, splash it all over us), but with the music playing in the background and our cheers filling the air, the still remained motivated through it all. Although the day started early, the exhaustion was certainly worth it and we hope that more volunteers join us next year!