Running for the Solution
By: Jill Luckett

The Kentucky Derby Festival Mini-Marathon is a 13.1 mile run that is part of the many festivities leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Runners come from all 50 states and several foreign countries to partake in the scenic race that finishes in downtown Louisville. This year the race filled capacity with 15,000 entrants.

Participants sign up for many different reasons; they love running, they want to challenge themselves, they want to join a friend, they want to try something new or they want to support a cause. Several charity teams are formed to raise awareness and funds for a particular cause. This year 6 individuals came together to run for one cause: Safe Place.

Runners:

- Makensie DeRossett: New Albany, KY

- Johnny DeRossett: New Albany, KY

- Whitney Fuller: Winchester, KY

- Emily Bello: Winchester, KY

- Joseph Welsh: Louisville, KY

- Jill Luckett(me): Louisville, KY

I ran the Mini-Marathon last year for another charity and it was a great motivation for finishing the race. When I joined the National Safe Place staff in February, I thought it would be a great idea to form a running team in support of Safe Place in the 2010 race. At first, many people were interested in joining but as the race got closer the number of runners decreased. Completing a Mini-Marathon is a difficult endeavor to take on but we ended up with an amazing group of six runners.

Out of the six runners, only two, including myself, had participated in a Mini-Marathon before. It is recommended to start training at least 3 months before the race. You have to build stamina and endurance, and this is not an easy task, especially for those who are not runners. The team began training in January, slowly conquering more miles with every new week.

With all six runners having very busy schedules, the months went by quickly and before we knew it, race day had arrived. National Safe Place put together goody bags as a thank you to all the runners for their support. Safe Place t-shirts, with the runner's last names on them were also handed night before the race.

Saturday, April 24, was race day. We had to be at the starting line at 7:15am with the start gun going off at 7:30am. The sight of 15,000 runners was amazing. There was just a feeling in the air of camaraderie and slight nerves. The runners of the National Safe Place team had spoken to each other the night before and it sounded like everyone was very anxious and excited to conquer the race they had been anticipating for all those months.

My personal opinion of the race was that it was an amazing time. I do not consider myself a runner, so I was just as nervous this time around. I remember finally reaching mile 8 and thinking to myself "this really isn't that bad." One of my favorite moments of the race was running past a Fire Station, which was a Safe Place site, and having the four Firemen standing out front yelling "Go Safe Place!" It gave me an extra boost of energy that I greatly needed at that point.

I had asked other runners to share their experiences with me as well, and this is what they had to say:

"My dad and I trained together and this was our first mini. It was a great way for us to spend some quality time together and have a common interest to talk about. After I crossed the finish line I felt that I had really accomplished something! I'm already looking forward to running my next Mini and maybe even a Marathon." - Makensie DeRossett

"It was an amazing day for me as I got to coach my sister through her first half marathon. She had a very positive attitude and never stopped smiling. We appreciate the support of National Safe Place and the neat t-shirts with our names on the back. My favorite part of the race was in the first few miles when we were heading up the hills in the park and some people were passing us on both sides. Whitney confidently said "I think a lot of these people that are passing us are going to slow down and we're going to end of passing them soon!" I thought it was very cute how confident she was and she was correct. We did end of passing a lot of folks who came out fast in the beginning. Slow and steady wins, right?" - Emily Bello

"The Derby Festival Mini Marathon was a great experience for me. I only decided to run it in January having never really even run a mile before. I was able to train with my dad and then run the actual race with my sister, a professional runner in my opinion. She was so encouraging and it was such a great moment for us when I crossed the finish line. I would definitely do it again and am thankful for the push from Jill and National Safe Place to set a goal and achieve it. I am certain it will not be my last mini marathon and am excited to keep running!" - Whitney Fuller

In the end, I think the 2010 National Safe Place Team was a success. I am very proud of all the runners for sticking with the training, helping raise $400 and gaining awareness for Safe Place. The kids that Safe Place serves are usually running from the problem, the six individuals who completed the 2010 Mini-Marathon were running for the solution.