A Long Run to Help Students

Think it’s too hot for yard work? How about running 100 miles through the hills of Tennessee?

That’s what Chris George and his friend Alan Burnie will be doing Saturday. George, who grew up in Burnsville and now lives in Nashville, Tenn., will join Burnie in the 100 Mile Challenge – running 100 miles through the winding Appalachian Trail in 24 hours.

George, a high school civics teacher, is hoping to use the event to raise money and awareness for Teach For America, a nonprofit that provides a corps teachers who commit to teach for two years in one of 39 underfunded urban and rural regions across the country.

“Our major objective is to get students to achieve,” said George. “A lot of my students show up with a lack of trust – they see school as a hill too steep to climb. I want to do this run to demonstrate to them that if you work hard, you can do things you don’t think you can do.”

So far, George has raised a little over $1,000 via a website (http://firstgiving.org/fundraiser/100milechallenge/100milechallenge) that will track his and Burnie’s progress on Saturday.

George and Burnie have just the background for such a project. Both ran track in cross country in high school and at the University of Auburn, and still train regularly, which should make the trek through the hilly Appalachian Trail, which winds through Georgia and Tennessee, somewhat easier.

“It’s difficult terrain,” George said. “We don’t expect it to be easy.”

The two have been training since January for the event. A support crew will be stationed at various stops to provide the two with water and food. George will keep a video diary of the experience to show his students when school resumes later this month.

“We want to average five or six miles per hour,” George said. “I think the plan will be to run for an hour and rest for 10 minutes.”