Special Half-Marathon Entries To Benefit Fallen Marathoner

Posted March 27th, 2008 at 3:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The officially sold-out Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon, which is held in conjunction with Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., will offer additional entries through an online auction to benefit the family of the fallen marathoner, Wesly Ngetich, who was killed during the violence in Kenya earlier this year. Ngetich won Grandma’s Marathon twice in 2005 and 2007.

“Wesly was a great champion for our event, so assisting his family is the very least we can do,” said Scott Keenan, executive director of Grandma’s Marathon. “Our donations can’t bring him back, but hopefully they can bring some financial relief to his family members as they struggle through this difficult time.”

The auction, which begins on March 31, will offer three different auction packages which all include Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon entries.

This is the second fundraising effort Grandma’s Marathon has conducted to assist Ngetich’s family. Earlier this month, the non-profit organization raised $6,000 by opening an additional 100 spots in the 2008 Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon to those runners not selected through the lottery. A record number of 9,200 half-marathon hopefuls registered for the 2008 lottery and its 4,500 available spots.

The auction will be held at www.GrandmasMarathon.com. The Grandma’s Marathon and Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon will be held on Saturday, June 21.

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