Why I Run the Bellin Run

June 11, 2010

Marc Hershfield of Duluth, Minn., shared with us via e-mail the reason why he participates in the Bellin Run year after year. This is a slightly edited version of what he wrote: “Thanks to the generosity of my Aunt Mary Ann, I was wearing Bellin Run T-shirts long before I ever crossed the finish line. As children, my brothers and I would receive the T-shirts as neatly wrapped gifts for Christmas or our birthdays from Aunt Mary Ann. Perhaps it was the power of the shirts, but as a young adult I took up running and have participated in about a dozen Bellins over last three decades, earning the shirts myself. Aunt Mary Ann has since retired and I’ve mellowed a bit, so instead of bashing it all night at Bayfest like we used to, it’s now a soak in the city’s municipal pool after the race and ice cream. The real reasons I return to Green Bay in June are to delight in my aunt’s company, enjoy the hospitality of the community and maybe catch a glimpse of running legend Uta Pippig. Running the Bellin and running in general has also contributed to my positive lifestyle, interesting travel, a connection with nature and inner growth. And to top it off, this year my Aunt Mary Ann gets my Bellin Run T-shirt!” Marc Hershfield, Minnesota