AUGUST 20, 2009 ISSUE
Former Marine To Run 108.4 Miles Total, Some of it Barefoot, To Benefit WYN
WYN employee Matt Jenkins gets ready to start his timer before the first of three consecutive Sunday runs to benefit the youth of Watauga County. He completed the first run on Sunday, August 16, and ran the entire 20.2 miles without shoes. Photo by Angela McMann
Encouraging onlookers gathered in front of Earth Fare while irritated drivers honked their horns as they became accidental spectators to a short segment of Matt Jenkins’ 20.2-mile barefoot run on Sunday, August 16.
The former Marine and current Western Youth Network (WYN) employee pledged to run 108.4 miles—and over 20 miles of that distance barefoot—to help raise money for WYN’s after-school and mentoring programs. Jenkins’ run is called the ECR Software Corporation Youth Run and his target distance of 108.4 miles is the total distance between all the Watauga County Schools.
This year’s state budget cuts “cost us $144,000 in grant money,” Jenkins said, explaining that the SOS grant for the after school program and the Governor’s One-on-One Mentoring Program grant were both eliminated.
WYN offers the only after school program to local middle school students, and many of those it serves are at-risk or court-involved.
Jenkins will run a total of 108.4 miles over the course of three consecutive Sundays to raise awareness of the program and its need for funding in order to continue its services to the community. Over the course of this ECR Corporation Youth Run, he will run to every school in the county.
People have given generously, Jenkins said. As of press time, the run has raised about $3,690 for WYN.
This first run went faster than anticipated, Jenkins said. “We were shooting for about five hours, [but we] finished in 4:10. My dad ran with me for the first five miles. The last 2.5 miles, my wife Shannon Haney joined me, [as did] Nicole Hiegl.”
The two women had planned to wear shoes but “got caught up in the spirit” of the run, Jenkins said. “My wife ran in socks, Nicole ran barefoot. I was struggling at that point. There are lots of rocks on King Street.”
Running on Highway 321 was easier, except for dodging cars, Jenkins said, adding that he came within three inches of being hit by a car. He plans on wearing a headlamp with a flashing light next Sunday for added safety. He will also be able to run on the shoulder of the road instead of the white line because he will be wearing shoes.
Jenkins graduated with a history degree from Winthrop University, located near Charlotte, in Rock Hill, S.C. He was drawn to work with at-risk youth, though, because of personal experiences throughout childhood. Jenkins’ younger brother had behavioral problems growing up and their parents sent him to a wilderness school in Arizona, Jenkins said.
“When he came back, he had a whole other outlook,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins worked in a jail in Greenville, S.C. and hated it, he said. After jobsearching online, he saw a wilderness camp in Virginia as “a chance to impact people,” he said. “You have no impact in a jail. You’re babysitting adults.”
He took a job working at a wilderness school in central Virginia, Jenkins said. His wife came to ASU for graduate school last year and after their move, Jenkins became involved with WYN to continue helping at-risk youth.
Working at the wilderness school in Virginia exposed him to the deeper issues underlying behavioral problems, he said. With his brother growing up, Jenkins had “always focused on the behavior [because it] was what affected me,” he said.
Jenkins did not always like running. During his time in the Marines, he became a fan of the sport only “when it got to be part of being promoted, the fitness score.” A continuing motivation came about when his first sergeant posted a board and everyone got a block for every three miles run.
“I ran 500 miles in the span of two years,” Jenkins said. “I think that [board] inspired me to do marathons. I trained by trying to beat the top guy on the board. I was in second and I was pretty proud of that.”
Using the same principle, Jenkins helped get a WYN middle school running club started. The students receive a block for each quarter-mile they run.
“They’re doing it for the same reason I was,” Jenkins said. “It’s cool to harness that competitive nature and support it in a positive way. Jack Vilas was our top runner. He ran 55 miles. He’s in sixth grade.”
Jenkins enjoys planning “what’s the next thing,” he said. At a marathon, “I saw a guy running barefoot and thought, ‘that’s the next thing,’” he said, adding that he built up to it.
“I was running a 50K and took my shoes off the last 10 miles,” he said.
At the Freedom Park Ultra Run, held in Morganton on New Year’s Day, he decided to see how far he could run without shoes. Still being relatively new to barefoot running, “I didn’t have the anticipation of pain that sometimes holds me back now,” he said.
To date, Jenkins has run at total of 35 marathons and six ultra-marathons, which are races longer than the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Next month, Jenkins will travel to Canada to run a marathon with a former student of his who is from Toronto.
Although Jenkins’ final two runs of the ECR Software Corporation Youth Run will not be completed entirely barefooted like the first one, he might take off his shoes for stretches up to nine miles, he said.
Jenkins encourages people to run with shoes. “Don’t try this at home,” he said. “Running barefoot is something you have to build up to.”
Next Sunday, August 23, he will run 35 miles, and the following Sunday, August 30, he will run 53.2 miles.
Community members are invited to join Jenkins for the safe legs of the next two runs or volunteer as support crew members.
Andrew Strickland, who has run several marathons and ultra marathons with Jenkins, will run the whole distance next Sunday with him. Angie Grimes and Hollie Storie, who both helped contact sponsors, will both run about a mile, and Jenkins’ wife may run some as well, he said.
The run’s premier sponsor is ECR Software. High Country Conservancy, M-Prints, Gamma Beta Phi Sorority, Boone Heating and Air, Jeffrey W. Lineberry, DDS, SwiftWick Performance Socks, Austin & Barnes Funeral Home, The Inn at Crestwood, Advertising Design System, Linville Caverns, CiCi’s Pizza, Backyard Burger, Gadabouts, Marble Slab and Stick Boy Bread Company also sponsor the run.
For persons interested in running with Jenkins or for more information about the ECR Software Corporation Youth Run, click to www.wataugayouthrun.blogspot.com.
Those interested in volunteering as support crew members or those wishing to donate to WYN can call Jenkins at 864-320-4870 or email jenkinsm@westernyouthnetwork.org.
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