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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Mutt Marathon teams shelter dogs, runners for race
The only thing better than running a marathon? Running a marathon with a team of dogs, of course!
On Sunday, teams of runners can provide some much needed exercise for shelter dogs at the same time they knock off their weekend miles during the Austin Pets Alive! Mutt Marathon and Half-Marathon Relay.
Teams of two to five runners will partner with APA! shelter dogs and set off on relay legs adding up to approximately 26.2 miles. The legs will vary in distance from 3 to 5 miles, all on the Lady Bird Lake Trail. Pooch teammates will be selected by lottery, and runners will swap dogs on each loop.
Teams will be timed, but can toodle at Basset Hound pace or move at Greyhound speed, limited only by trail safety, the dogs’ and runners’ ability, and the dogs’ (and runners’) need to sniff things or pee, says organizer Rob Hill, head of Team Spiridon, which is sponsoring the event along with Hill Country Running Co.
Pre-race orientation is at 9 a.m. The marathon and half marathon relays will start at 9:30. (Starts may be staggered if there’s a large turnout.) Entry fee is a donation to Austin Pets Alive! Because of a limited pool of dogs, interested teams should contact Rob Hill at rob@teamspiridon.org to register.
Meanwhile, Hill will run his second annual solo marathon with four APA! dogs, as part of his own fund-raising for Team Spiridon. Those wanting to put in more distance can grab a dog and run a six-legged-leg with him.
To donate to Rob’s Double Dog Dare Ya, go here.
The Mutt Marathon grew out of Austin Pets Alive!’s Jog-A-Dog program, which allows people to check out shelters dog for a jog or run.
“APA!’s really great about getting dogs out several times a day and they have play time, but they really need exercise,” says Rob Hill, head of the Team Spiridon running group and an APA volunteer. “That’s what Jog-a-Dog is set up for.”
To participate in Jog-A-Dog, volunteers attend a 30-minute orientation session at the new APA! facility, formerly the Town Lake Animal Shelter. After completing the orientation, they can take a dog for a run or walk around Lady Bird Lake. Participants get discounts at Hill Country Running Co. and Bettysport.
“What we’re trying to do is get a range of people from walkers to runners, so the dogs are getting exercise on a consistent basis,” Hill says. You can even check out a recumbent tricycle donated by Fire Cracker Dog, attach a dog to it and go for a cruise.
The Jog-A-Dog orientation schedule is posted on the Jog-A-Dog and Austin Pets Alive! pages on Facebook.
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