Maryland Half Marathon and 5K

An excellent race to put on your calendar that supports a great cause is the 16th annual Maryland Half Marathon and 5K on June 1 in Fulton.

This race supports the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Since 2009, participants have raised more than $6 million to cutting-edge care and groundbreaking research. The goal this year is to raise $500,000 and the race is well on its way to meeting the goal.

The half marathon features a loop course on scenic Howard County roads with seven water stops and excellent on-course support, while the 5K is a quick loop course that promises quick times. Last year’s race saw over 1,100 finishers for the half marathon, and 5K and the competition was strong with the winner of the 5K, Jordan Leon of Baltimore, finishing in 16 minutes, 31 seconds (5:20/mile) and the winner of the half marathon, Alan Dixon of Takoma Park, finishing in 1:20:18 (6:08/ mile).

Even if you are not interested in racing all-out, there is something special about knowing that your physical effort will be helping future patients of the Cancer Center. Participants can enter in the solo division or participate as part of a fundraising team, such as the Transplant and Cellular Therapy team, which features local runners Peter Cooper, Dan Morrisey, Al Guerieri and many others.

Guerieri was personally treated by the health professional of the BMT unit for the bone marrow disorder myelofibrosis and as a returning participant epitomizes the impact fundraising can have for the Cancer Center.

If you are interested in running on the BMT team, you can select the BMT Team and receive their support, including hard earned knowledge of how to run this half marathon.

Or if you just want to run the race and see your athletic achievements translated into concrete medical research, you can find more information here: https://secure. ummsfoundation.org/site/ TR/RunningTeam/MarylandHalfMarathon?fr_ id=1320&pg=entry