ALMH Foundation Gifts Certified
Course to Public
Ceremony and ribbon cut to be held July
8th
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[June 19, 2015]
LINCOLN
- On July 8 at 9am, Logan County will welcome its first race course
certified by USA Track and Field (USATF), the national governing
body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in
the United States.
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For the past four years, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital (ALMH)
has hosted Moving Forward, a walk/run at Edward Madigan State Park
with proceeds benefitting local wellness programs. Typical runs in
Logan County have been 5 kilometers or 3.1 miles. Last year the
Moving Forward event included a 10K option (6.2 miles). Organizers
felt that it was important to ensure the event was being held on an
accurately measured course and so they contracted with a consultant
to have the course certified using the Road Running Technical
Council (RRTC) of USATF measurement standards.
As more runners and walkers use GPS watches and phones to track
their distances and fitness levels it is increasingly important to
offer accurately measured events.
“GPS signals are often blocked by trees, bridges, buildings,
tunnels, etc. Using a course certification consultant ensures that
we truly providing a 5K and 10K event to our participants,” said
ALMH rehabilitation manager Todd Mourning, DPT, ALMH Director of
Program Development and Rehab.
After the October 2014 event, the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare
Foundation (ALHF) began discussions with Edward Madigan State Park
officials to install permanent signage at the park so that the
public could use the certified course. In a collaborative effort,
state park officials, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,
and ALMH representatives worked over the winter to obtain signs,
verify their locations and arrange installation.
The public is invited to attend a brief ceremony and ribbon cutting
on Wednesday, July 8 at 9am to introduce the course to the
community. The event will take place at the start/finish line of the
course which is located at the first parking lot on the right as you
enter the park. Runners and walkers are invited to the first use of
the course following the brief comments by park and ALMH officials.
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“At ALMH our mission is to improve the health of the people and communities we
serve. We support healthy lifestyles and choices. We take our responsibility to
enrich our community’s quality of life seriously. Therefore we hope that having
the course marked will provide encouragement for park visitors to walk or run
the course while enjoying nature,” said ALHF executive director Sarah Helm.
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital is a community-based critical access hospital
serving the people of Logan and eastern Mason County. The Abraham Lincoln
Healthcare Foundation was formed in 1986 to support the mission of ALMH. To
learn more about this and other Foundation programs, call 217-605-5006 or visit
www.ALMH.org.
[Angela Stoltzenburg, Abraham Lincoln
Health Foundation]
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