Mercedes Marathon, February 8, 2004
Thousands of running enthusiasts learned about Samford University
Feb. 6-8 as part of Mercedes Marathon weekend in Birmingham . In addition
to the annual marathon, Birmingham hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials
for men's marathon. Samford was the only university involved as a
corporate sponsor for the weekend. In addition to students and employees
who ran in the Marathon or half-marathon, dozens of others were involved
as volunteers during the weekend.
Overnight flooding and undelivered water trucks presented challenges,
but the Samford spirit rose to the occasion as runners saw the campus
and the warm, caring Samford community as they passed along the Lakeshore
Drive greenway across from the campus.
(Bill Mathews contributed photos for this album.) |
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| Samford Provost J. Bradley Creed was one
of the thousands running in either the full or half-marathon. Here he
is buoyed by the cheers of Samford students and employees along the “Samford
Mile.” This was Creed's first full marathon. |
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| Larry Davenport, biology, enjoyed breakfast
while waiting for marathoners to pass along the “Samford mile.” |
Filling water and Powerade cups at 7
a.m. on a Sunday is not a usual activity for Samford students, but
they braved frigid temperatures and the early hour to get a water
station ready on the “Samford mile” during the Mercedes Marathon. |
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| Student volunteers gather just prior to
the arrival of runners along the “Samford mile” at the Mercedes Marathon.
Among the student organizations represented were the men's tennis team,
Sigma Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha and Samford Ambassadors. Many individual
students also were involved. |
The first of hundreds of runners pass along
the “Samford mile.” Samford students and employees used signs, pom-poms
and rally sticks to cheer the runners. |
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| Handing water and Powerade
to runners as they sped by was the primary job of volunteers along the “Samford
mile” during the Mercedes Marathon. Sloshing, cold water was worth the
effort to demonstrate the spirit of Samford to the hundreds of runners
and out-of-town visitors who were in Birmingham for marathon weekend. |
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Album |
