Uphill battle
5K race will present challenges
Dedicated to bringing exciting events to the Liberty University community, Student Activities (SA) has implemented several different races and marathons throughout the school year.
Each race varies in length and offers students of every background the opportunity to get outdoors and challenge themselves physically.
The half-mile run is a new race set to take place March 31 at 6 p.m. The evening run requires both strength and endurance, according to Director of Outdoor Recreation Josh Yeoman.
The King of the Mountain race sets itself apart from other races SA holds throughout the year because the event is free to the public. According to Yeoman, anyone interested is encouraged to participate in the challenge.
Although the race is only a half mile, Yeoman said it will not be easy.
“This is a really tough challenge,” Yeoman said. “The race is straight up (a hill) for a half of a mile.”
Due to the race’s difficulty, Yeoman encouraged students, faculty and staff to compete. He also suggested that those interested in participating train for the race by
running hills.
The race will start in the intramural fields just below the Liberty monogram and will end when each racer reaches the top of the monogram. The run takes place on a single-track trail, only adding to the difficulty of the event because of the lack of space on the path.
“This is more of a fun, competitive challenge,” Yeoman said. “Because (it) is free, we are not providing chip timing or T-shirts at this event. But we will have some drinks and pizza.”
At the end of the event, one male and one female will be crowned as winners.
Several staff and volunteers work hard throughout the year to plan each race put on by SA. According to Yeoman, approximately 20 to 25 people have helped with this event.
“We plan approximately four races per semester,” Yeoman said. “Careful planning must go into every aspect of the event. We do it all, (including) hospitality, course set-up, promotion and risk management. Student Activities tries to provide a very competitive event for a very reasonable price.”
In addition to the King of the Mountain run, two more races will be held this semester.
The Liberty Mountain 5K Trail Race was originally scheduled to take place Feb. 21 but was postponed until March 26. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Camp Hydaway.
Advance student tickets are $10 while public tickets are $15 in advance.
The last race of the semester is the Bald Mountain 10K Trail Race. The evening run begins at 6 p.m. and takes place April 16 at Camp Hydaway. A training run will be held April 14 at 6 p.m.
Student tickets for the Bald Mountain 10K Trail Race are being sold in advance for $15. Advance tickets for the public are $20.
Each race offers varying degrees of difficulty, giving anyone the chance to find the one that works best for them.
More information on prices and registration for each race can be found at liberty.edu/races.
Young is a feature reporter.