Athletic Supporters “Freeze Their Asses Off” For the Environment
Well, it certainly could have been worse.
Temperatures were mercifully a touch milder than in previous weeks on the morning of January 13 as the Gwangju-based nonprofit charity group Athletic Supporters (AS) gathered for the first annual “Freeze Your Ass Off” 10K run to benefit the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) – Korea.
With the mercury nosing a few notches north of freezing, 18 runners from the expat and local communities – not to mention a slew of helpers, fans and other benevolent riffraff – met in the newly developing Suwan region for a scenic Sunday morning run along the Yeongsan River.
The race commenced promptly at 10:15 a.m. with 12 runners competing in the 10-kilometer division, five trying their luck on the 5-kilometer circuit and a final runner, Kim Il-su, ambitiously forging his own 12-kilometer course with the help of a few strategically placed wrong turns.
Maryland native Job Merkel crossed the finish line first in the 10K class at a blistering pace of 42:43, and was followed closely by fellow American Tyler Priest, while Ohioan Eric McGlaughlin rounded out the top.
In the 5K division, Adrian Ryan Jaimon secured victory by crossing the red-and-black scarf with a time of 28:01, while ladies champion and runner-up Rachel Arbing came across with arms raised triumphantly towards the heavens at 38:39.
The runners were greeted at the end by cheering supporters and volunteers, as well as a bevy of refreshments and snacks including soju, beer, chocolate cupcakes and homemade cookies. Rumors circulating rampantly amongst the crowd about healthier options of water, energy drinks and bananas being available went unconfirmed for quite some time, until a handful of the more health-minded individuals present managed to track them down.
Additionally, all participants received “swag bags” full of goodies to take home with them after the race.
Festivities moved downtown to the First Alleyway where a bake sale of delicious treats prepared largely by the talented trio of Julie Maycock, Lindsay Ross and Lauren Norton attracted dozens and netted an additional 54,000 won for the cause.
In total, AS managed to contribute 342,000 won to UNEP – Korea, easily exceeding their original goal of 300,000 won. In keeping with organizational policy, 80% of the total raised was donated, with the rest being used to fund the race and a small nest egg put away for future events.
The group decided on UNEP – Korea (and more specifically, the outfit’s education fund) as a way to tackle a seemingly oft-forgotten issue in this country that the group’s core members, as teachers, could get behind. After all, change often starts in the classroom.
AS founder Shay Meinecke was taken aback by the sheer number that came out considering the cold weather. “I was surprised by the turnout. I thought the freezing temperatures would have deterred people from wanting to get out there and contribute… I was shocked by the help from the volunteers and the turnout from the competitors.”
Meinecke also lauded the growing number of Korean participants as a key factor to the success of the event with so many native English teachers having left recently for winter holidays, noting: “…a lot of teachers were on vacation,[but] we saw a bigger showing of Koreans at this event, which is always a good thing.”
For an organization that harbors ambitious plans to grow and expand into Canada, the United States and the UK by 2014, an increased local presence at the group’s second event was most certainly a welcome development.
The “Freeze Your Ass Off” 10K comes on the heels of AS’ wildly successful inaugural event, last October’s 3-on-3 basketball tournament, in which teams of hardwood hoopsters raised over a half million won for the MDream Children’s Home.
So, what’s next for AS? According to Meinecke, a rock climbing event is already in the works for sometime in February, to benefit a yet-to-be-determined local Korean charity. Furthermore, there has been talk of a football (or soccer, as it’s known on the other side of the pond) tournament and other challenging athletic endeavours for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.
Clearly, the group has a well-defined vision of sports and charitable deeds working in unison for the benefit of all. “I created the group around the idea of fun, competition and helping others. I think there is nothing better than wanting to help, but doing it in a healthy, competitive manner,” Meinecke explained.
For more information on upcoming events, be sure to check out the Athletic Supporters page on Facebook. A fully-functioning website (www.athleticsupporters.com) is also in the developmental stages, and will showcase the organization’s events and the causes surrounding them, as well as other tales of athletic adventures for charity from around the world.
Photos by Nabeela Irfan.