John Ward, from thequest and East Side Grace Brethren churches in Columbus, Ohio, is also involved in leading a community service opportunity. Here is a short excerpt. To read the entire article, click on http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/101807/Westerville/News/101807-News-438431.html
WARM is a faith-based, nonprofit local food pantry that also provides employment coaching, budget training and limited financial assistance, according to Marier.
Team coordinator John Ward said that while the team is comprised of individuals of varying skill levels, everyone has worked hard over the last 16 weeks and has logged more than 2,500 miles as a team.
“There’s a good spirit among the team. For some, this is an entry into the sport altogether,” Ward said. “It’s one thing to train for a marathon by yourself, but it really is a shot of adrenaline to have others alongside of you, encouraging you along and helping you to make strides toward the goal of completing a half or full marathon.”
A Westerville businessman, Ward recently began volunteering with WARM, and has said that his background in marathon running gave him the idea for the fundraiser. Ward ran his first marathon in 2004, in London, England, and followed that by competing in the Boston Marathon in 2005 and the Columbus Marathon last year.
As part of the team’s training, WARM has organized several clinics on injury prevention, nutrition, what kind of shoes to wear and stride analysis for the runners, according to Marier.