The annual MT Sprint Triathlon and 5K event benefiting Endure Athletics will return to Murfreesboro on Sunday, April 21, raising funds for the local organization and giving Middle Tennessee athletes the opportunity to participate in a sprint distance triathlon.
Endure Athletics provides disadvantaged children of all ages with everyday necessities, unconditional support and Christ-centered mentorship. It started with hosting Saturday morning games for area homeless children. The program quickly grew to include enrichment activities, afterschool programming, academic support and providing meals throughout the week. Outside of basic needs such as safe shelter, food, transportation, tutoring and more, the nonprofit helps give children what they perhaps desire the most: hope, a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen.
“Most of our kids just want to have a conversation. They just want to talk. They want somebody to pay attention to them. They want to talk about their day at school. They want to have friends. I think that’s been really big in what we do because you can see them bonding together,” Endure founder and Executive Director Joel Bigelow said. “You can see them going, ‘We’re all in this together.’”
When Bigelow was in high school, he aspired to be a kindergarten teacher. Unable to pursue that dream at that time, his wishes to help educate youngsters have since come full circle. Endure Athletics started with eight children in 2015. Now, Endure serves over 50 kids at a time and an average of around 150 per year.
Instead of a classroom, Bigelow got a family.
“God is good. He has blessed us with everything we need to succeed each and every day,” Bigelow said about the nonprofit’s growth. “We live in a very, very generous community. We are a 100% donation-based organization. Without that, we couldn’t do the work that we do.”
Endure Athletics gets its namesake from the fitness activities promoted in the environment. Not only does it help adolescents physically and mentally, it builds comradery. Bigelow said it makes it easier for kids to open up and connect when they’re participating in a game of catch or another activity.
The annual MT Sprint Triathlon and 5K event has become the biggest fundraiser for Endure Athletics, to no surprise, as the fundraiser event itself also fosters fitness, as does the year-round mission of Endure. The triathlon offers a unique challenge with a 300-yard pool swim, 10-mile bike ride and 5K run through Middle Tennessee State University’s campus. Open to seasoned athletes and beginners alike, participants can opt for individual or team entry and college students can get a discounted rate.
Groups of three participating as a team can complete the triathlon as a relay, with a different athlete participating in the swim, bike and run portions.
As a former triathlete himself, Bigelow said, his favorite parts of the triathlon involve interacting with first-timers.
The event will recognize top performers across various categories, including overall male and female finishers, individual age divisions for both genders and top finishers in the team division. In addition to these main awards, there will be further categories and prizes available. Additionally, those who want to run but are not ready for the triathlon experience can opt to join the 5K run portion of the event only.
Endure Athletics caps the MT Sprint Triathlon at 325 athletes, and all proceeds benefit the nonprofit.
“As we continue to grow this, we want people to know that the reason why they’re there is not necessarily to finish that race, but to support the local homeless children and youth that we pray for here in Murfreesboro and Rutherford County,” Bigelow said. “I want them to know that every dollar raised can go back and pour into our community. We want to expose them more to what we do as an organization.”
Participants can sign up for the race at endureathletics.org.
Those otherwise interested in supporting the Endure Athletics mission can also sign up for their Champion Club to directly sponsor a child.
Email info@endureathletics.org for more volunteer opportunities.
