#40for40Race 2023

Ugh. It's fully embarrassing that I haven't written anything in a full year. It's been a hell of a year though. Since last July, I have been promoted at work and made significant progress on my dissertation. So I've been writing, just not publicly. T was on Jeopardy! She didn't win, so we're not rich. But I'm not really here to talk about any of that. I'm here to announce the 40 for 40 Race for The 2023! 

I am super excited that Greg, Doug and Lauren (aka the Brothers in Booze Team) are back to support the cause. They were so instrumental last year in getting the word out and hosting the stream. This year, we're all back and hoping to build on last year's awesomeness. 

So, what's the 40 for 40 Race for The? It all started with a writer named John Finkle tweeting that it would be fun to see 40 year old dads compete in a 40 yard dash. I agreed and since I love weird running gimmicks, I decided to do it. I chose my mom's birthday as the date for the race because it felt right to do this in her honor. The more I talked about it, the more I realized that it shouldn't just be dads or just parents or even just running. I didn't want anyone to be left out. So we expanded it women, non-binary folks, childless people and added additional categories. In order to include everyone we also had prizes for the silliest run and for the most creative locomotion. In other words, you don't need to run. Just propel yourself forward 40 yards by some means. 

Last years' live stream was a ton of fun. Surprisingly, I won, barely beating out the aforementioned Mr. Finkle. Together, we raised $1,300 that went out to eight charities chosen by the winning runners and those who donated. Which brings us to the grammar question.

What is called the 40 for 40 Race for The? The what? Exactly. The what is determined by the race winners. Runners placing 1-3 in the traditional race get to designate a portion of the pot to the charity of their choice. Winners of funniest or most creative runs get to choose charities also. Donors who pick the winning runners also get money donated to the charity of their choice. 

So that's the lowdown. This year's race will take place on Sunday, September 10th, 2023. We are recruiting runners and soliciting donations. Runners can be from anywhere in the world. What we'd like from you is to let us know what time you will be running if you will be live streaming your run or you can record your run to be broadcast during the stream. To register, fill out this Google Form: This is the link to the Google Form. To donate, please visit the Go Fund Me: This is the link to the Go Fund Me.

As racers register, I will update this page with their bios.

Thanks! I can't wait!

PROFILES:

Name: Roberto Santiago

Age: 46

Athletic Bonafides: Played DIII rugby for many years, currently referees rugby, once ran a very slow marathon, still has the same waist size as he did in high school. Winner of 2022 40 for 40 Race.

Charity: Whole Woman's Health (Texas abortion clinic moving to New Mexico)

Name: Jonathan Heisey-Grove (JHG)

Age: 51

Athletic Bonafides: Gym rat trying to reclaim my waistline from the ravages of beer and food, & 4x century ride finisher (I.e. avid bike rider)

Charity: Fathers Overcoming Adversity Fund (A fund to support fathers and families that have suffered from an unexpected physical injury that impairs the ability of fathers to care for their children. A fund of The National At-Home Dad Network)

Name: Mike Benton

Age: 65

Athletic Bonafides: 4th degree black belt in karate, hates running, but master of the long-distance walk

Charity: Camp Innabah and Retreat Center

Name: Joseph Fowler

Age: 47

Athletic Bonafides: Played college Football. Recently did a push-up. Owns running shoes.

Charity: RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities)

Name: Andy Kleiber

Age: 54

Athletic Bonafides: Bike as much as possible. Have run 2 marathons. Play ultimate 🥏 on occasion. Regular beer drinker

Charity: Ride 4 a Reason

Name: Kel Anders

Age: 44

Athletic Bonafides: For run day I will be 8 months pregnant as a gestational surrogate (my seventh and final pregnancy). Pretty slow runner even without the current hitchhiker situation, however I do think it could be an entertaining waddle.

Charity: Random Acts

Name: Doug "Dug" Zeigler

Age: 51

Athletic Bonafides: Played basketball in HS and DIII in college. Former house dancer

Charity: The Staff of Papa'aina & Pioneer Inn Lahaina

Name: Brandi Thomas

Age: 43

Athletic Bonafides: Ran a 10k in 3rd grade, can bench press 5 lbs., undefeated champ of "Most Tetherballs to the Face" at Saginaw Elementary, thinks cheese is mana from the gods, is lactose intolerant.

Charity: Club Everyone, Me and U

You can watch last year's stream below or by following this link: 40 for 40 Stream Link