Large crowd expected for 5th annual Race For Wandell

Published 7:41 pm Monday, September 18, 2017

East Side Elementary will be a hotbed of traffic this weekend.
Team Wandell organizers will present the fifth annual Race For Wandell on Saturday, Sept. 23, starting at 10 a.m. at the home of former East Side Principal Dr. Josh Wandell.
Each year continues to be a blessing, according to Team Wandell member and uncle to Josh, Kelly Geagley.
“Our registration numbers have been solid so far,” Geagley recently told the Elizabethton Star. Currently, the race has over 60 registered runners with more expected to file in the contest.
2017 has proved to be a “record-setting” year for the race, according to Geagley. Over 40 sponsors jumped on board to sponsor’s this year’s shirt and race, while an additional 21 are taking part in the event as in-kind donors.
This year’s shirt, a popular item for the event, is heather-red and features images that hold a special meaning for the race, Geagley added.
“Josh does a lot of races where they push him in the cart,” Geagley said. “Jeremy (Hughes) liked one of the designs of Josh’s shirts he got from a race that had a shield-look to it. Jeremy took a silhouette of Josh when he could run, along with Mary Cates and T.J. Brown to add to the shield.”
“We couldn’t have accomplished any of this without the support of the community,” Geagley said. “Our local businesses have been so welcoming to help out with the cause.”
The tradition added an extra element last year with the Race For Wandell being designated as the state’s lone 3K race, professionally-timed by RunCorps.
According to StateRunningRecords.com, dubbed “THE preferred home of USA state road running records,” over 60 individuals from the Race For Wandell last year officially etched their name in stone for a record-setting morning of running.
Overall race winner Craig Emmert, of Elizabethton, was dubbed the record holder with the fastest time at 11:06 while Ellie Hall, 13 years old, of Blountville, was the female record holder with a time of 12:06.
“It’s added an extra element to the race,” Geagley said. “The runners were excited last year to be part of a new tradition.”
Race For Wandell starts off a busy weekend of events in Elizabethton. The Betsy Band will be performing at Neyland Stadium for the University of Tennessee’s game against UMass while later in the evening, the action picks up in downtown Elizabethton for the inaugural BBQ, Blues and Brews benefit fundraiser.
“It’s going to be a busy Saturday,” Geagley said. “We’re excited there’s a variety of events going on. Runners can finish up at East Side and make their way to downtown.”
Preregistration for the 3K competitive race is a $25 donation, and the Fun Run/Walk is $20. Following September 17, registration is $25 for both races. Individuals can also purchase T-shirts for $20 at the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce.
Individuals can register by either visiting teamwandell.com, the Team Wandell Facebook page online or by visiting the Chamber of Commerce office in Elizabethton.

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