Last week, I attended a national conference for the running industry, where I met with fellow running club and race directors from across the country. There were dozens of important topics and takeaways, but none stood out to me as much as the significant health impacts that a race has on an entire community, well beyond race day.
It might be obvious to see how a race like the Bayshore Marathon improves the life of the individual running the event. That person dedicates hours of training both their body and their mind to accomplish something they may have never thought they’d be able to do, or faster than they ever thought was possible. Running in general provides a wide range of health benefits that can protect individuals from chronic conditions, like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and improve musculoskeletal health, weight management and mental health.
The racer is getting healthier and stronger with the extensive hard work and training, but so are the people they are surrounded by. The racer’s community gets stronger alongside them — when that runner’s co-worker is also inspired to run or take up another physical activity that will improve their health and wellbeing, and when that runner’s child observes firsthand how someone can build mental fortitude and resilience while training for and finishing the race. Eventually, a ripple effect allows the impact to grow beyond that one racer’s circle of loved ones into the larger community, ultimately improving our societal health.
Furthermore, participating in group physical activity — such as running a race with thousands of other people and the training in groups that often happens in advance of that race (join us any time for group runs with the Traverse City Track Club!) — is proven to deliver social health benefits for individuals and the greater community. Social isolation can be a significant contributor to a variety of physical and mental health concerns, whereas collective running activities provide social connectedness and integration.
And when you participate in one of our Bayshore Marathon races, you’re not only improving your own health and your community’s physical and mental health by participating in the event. You’re also contributing financially to improve the running and walking infrastructure in our northern Michigan community and supporting young runners to pursue their academic endeavors. The Traverse City Track Club utilizes the proceeds from the Bayshore Marathon events to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars of grants to local governments and nonprofits, like TART and Peninsula Township, to make running and walking trails more accessible for everyone in our community. As a nonprofit 501©(3) organization dedicated to providing opportunities for people to live well, we also issue dozens of scholarships to local runners annually, to support them in their academic pursuits alongside their passion for running.
The community impact of a single race that happens just one day a year is truly profound, and I can’t wait to see how we continue to change lives with this year’s 42nd Bayshore Marathon events. I’d love to hear more from you about what the Bayshore Marathon means to you — any stories or impacts the race has had on you or your loved ones. Please share by emailing info@tctrackclub.com or reach out on our social media platforms. Here’s to our collective good health!