Sports Backers Blog
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Richmond Marathon Announces New Timing Solution to Provide Official Results for 2020 Event
Wednesday, September 9th
RICHMOND, VA – The 2020 Richmond Marathon, which had previously announced plans to offer a socially distanced in-person event from November 7-November 22, is now partnering with RunSignup to give participants a groundbreaking timing solution that will provide official results on a USA Track & Field (USATF) certified course. This means that the 2020 event…
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Kids Run RVA: Creating Change for RVA Youth Through Active Living Equity
Wednesday, July 15th
By: Chaz Coleman, Kids Run RVA Program Manager The fight for equity in America for Black people and people of color is an ongoing battle. Here in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War, there are daily reminders about the struggle for equal rights, with references to the Confederate legacy…
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Walker Wallace, Mary Caroline Heinen Earn Top RTD/Sports Backers Scholar-Athlete Awards
Tuesday, June 2nd
Richmond, VA – The Richmond Region’s finest high school scholar-athletes were rewarded for their hard work during the Times-Dispatch/Sports Backers Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony, which was presented virtually on June 6 during a livestream on Richmond.com. Top honors and $5,750 scholarships went to Walker Wallace of St. Christopher’s and Mary Caroline Heinen of Maggie Walker. The…
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Sports Backers Release Statement in Support of Ahmaud Arbery and Safer Communities
Thursday, May 14th
Richmond, VA - One of our primary missions here at Sports Backers is to advocate for safe running, biking, and walking in all corners of our community. We do not want to be silent when anyone’s right to safety is jeopardized. In the case of Ahmaud Arbery we wrestled with this, and we wrestled with…
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Over 180 Local Organizations Receive Active RVA Certification
Thursday, February 27th
Over 180 local organizations were honored for their innovative efforts at supporting active living during Sports Backers’ eighth-annual Active RVA Awards. The awards took place in conjunction with the Movement Makers Active Living Summit held at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Keynote speakers for the Summit included Dr. Christina Stasiuk, the Mid-Atlantic Market…
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Doug Orleski, local artist known as 'RVA Coffee Stain,' selected as 10k Dash for the Cash participant
Wednesday, February 19th
RICHMOND, VA – Doug Orleski, the Richmond-based artist known as ‘RVA Coffee Stain,’ has been selected for an opportunity to win $2,500 on Saturday, March 28, as the Dash for the Cash participant at the 2020 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger. In the Dash for the Cash, one participant is selected to get a…
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Fitness Warriors Celebrate Five Years of Impacting the Community
Friday, February 7th
By: Jacki Quinlan, Director of Community Outreach Sports Backers' Fitness Warriors program hasn’t been around that long; in fact we are only in our sixth year of operation. But a lot has been achieved during those first five years and we would be remiss if we didn’t take a…
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Celebrating 15 Years at Sports Backers: John Raigins
Thursday, December 19th
John Raigins may have the most unique resume of anyone at Sports Backers. Previous employers include: Raigins Farm and Ranch, in his hometown of Prairie, Mississippi. Duties: coordinate operations for field crops, feed crops, and cattle division of the farm. Supervise and execute planting and harvesting…
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Ashenafi Birhana wins VCU Health Richmond Marathon; Ayantu Hailema claims women’s title
Saturday, November 16th
RICHMOND, VA – Ashenafi Birhana of Washington, D.C., won the 2019 VCU Health Richmond Marathon, finishing ahead of Daniel Jaskowak, of Blacksburg, Va., and Abu Diriba, of Ethiopia. Ashenafi, originally from Ethiopia, finished in a time of 2:19:43 while Jaskowak, a former Virginia Tech standout, finished in 2:20:54. Diriba had a time of 2:21:34. Birhana…
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Marathon Training Team Coach Q&A: Carrie Parker
Tuesday, October 1st
For the past few months, we've been sharing a Q&A series that features each Sports Backers Marathon Training Team coach in an effort to share more about the Marathon Training Team and the work the coaches put into helping participants reach their goals for the VCU Health Richmond Marathon on November 16. As we get…