Run 4 Beigel {Photo by Ken Webster Photography}
By Jill Fox
After an entirely virtual event in 2021, the fifth annual RUN 4 BEIGEL is back in person, promising to be bigger and more successful while honoring beloved high school teacher and Cross-Country coach Scott J. Beigel.
During the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting on February 14, 2018, Beigel was fatally shot outside his classroom door after holding it open for fleeing students.
After Beigel’s death, his cross-country team created the first RUN 4 BEIGEL. In its fifth year and now an official racing event, the goal is to raise funds for the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund.
The charity formed in Beigel’s honor sends at-risk children touched by gun violence to summer sleep-away camp in the hopes of bringing them positive memories and keeping them out of harm’s way when they are not in school.
Last year, over 700 individuals from 30 states and four countries participated virtually in the RUN 4 BEIGEL 5K, helping raise $217,000 for the foundation and send 165 children to summer camp. The goal for 2022 is to increase to 1,000 participants and raise $75,000 from the Parkland event, sending an additional 50 kids to camp this summer.
New this year, runners can choose between the 10K run, the 5K run/walk, and the 1-mile family-friendly fun run. For the first time, there will be monetary prizes along with trophies for the top finishers of the 5K and 10K.
Race Director Douglas Eaton said he is excited about the different events, which attract more people than the singular 5K. “It’s about the inclusion of as many members of the community as possible,” he said.
This year, they will also have a separate heat for Parkland Buddies during the one-mile race, and specially-abled athletes can participate for free.
Scott J. Beigel.
The RUN 4 BEIGEL takes place on Saturday, April 10, at Pine Trails Park at 8 a.m.; however, runners also have the option to participate virtually through April 17. Entries have already come from the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and the United States.
“A lot of them were friends of Scott from his travels,” said Eaton.
Registration is available online for $35 until April 10 at 11:59 p.m., and also in-person on the day of the event.
Pine Trails Park is located at 10555 Trails End, in Parkland.
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