Local doctors are teaming up with the organizers of this year’s Johnny Miles Running Event Weekend 2018 to offer up to 50 free races to people who cannot afford the registration fees.
People can sign up for a bevy of races from fun runs all the way up to the Johnny Miles Marathon on June 16 and 17. All races start and finish at 155 Glasgow St. in New Glasgow.
“This is an investment in the health of our community from all the physicians on staff at the Aberdeen hospital,” said Dr. Brad MacDougall, who serves as its medical staff president. “We know that physical activity and social interaction are both things that are very good for our health.”
He said that exercise can improve health outcomes for people of all ages at every stage in life. This ranges from ‘tummy time’ with infants to seniors who take up chair yoga.
Indeed, exercise can even help seriously ill patients in palliative care improve their health outcomes.
For everyone else, events such as Johnny Miles not only boost one’s personal health but also build a stronger community spirit.
“Social interaction and physical activity is good to both prevent disease and better live with disease, so this is something we can all get behind,” said MacDougall.
Terry Curley, director of the Johnny Miles Running Event, said that creating a healthy community was also part of his organization’s mandate.
To this end, Johnny Miles hosts running events throughout the year, such as New Year’s Eve races among its other competitions.
To keep them affordable, students and children can sign up for free, while registration fees for other events were recently cut by 35 per cent.
Curley said that he wanted to host “a series of events that keeps people active all year.”
The Johnny Miles Running event bills itself as Eastern Canada best value road race. The running courses are mostly flat and scenic loops. As runners finish races, they will be greeted by an enthusiastic crowd lining Provost Street on the last stretch towards the finish line.
The organization has now been hosting runs and races for 43 years and counting.
People who wish to register for free can email MacDougall at [email protected]. All emails will be kept confidential and requests will be processed under an ‘honour system’.
Johnny Miles and the doctors are each offering 25 free slots to help those who cannot afford the fees.
For more information, the full race schedule and to register, please visit https://raceroster.com/events/2018/14232/johnny-miles-running-event-weekend-2018.
