Manning native, Morgan Kinkade, a junior at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls majoring in exercise science and minoring in coaching, is going to be spending a good part of her summer taking her passion and putting it toward something greater than herself.
Kinkade, who participated in high school sports, really didn’t get interested in long-distance running until later in her freshman year of college. One year ago this month, she had a serious surgery and it changed her perspective on life. She has combined that with her love of running, taking it cross-country to raise money for the non-profit Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults in their annual 4K for Cancer.
The runners will record between 10 to 16 miles per day, starting each with a circle meeting that focuses on the reasons they are doing this run. Kinkade says they will also write names on their legs of the people that they will be running for that day. They will stay at host sites, mainly churches and schools, as well as with host families along the 4,000 plus miles for the 49 total days from June 17 through Aug. 4. And although this will be her first time on a run that spans the entire United States, Kinkade has participated in other races closer to home.
During the past three years, Kinkade has run in two full marathons and will also be competing in the Boston Marathon in April. She is the daughter of Bowe Kinkade of Manning and Jan Theilen of Council Bluffs and Kinkdade says that she was pretty nervous to bring the idea of a cross-country run to them initially.
Everyone will also get a chance to cheer Kinkade and her teammates along as they will travel through Carroll on Friday, July 13. Kinkade is a little over half way to her $4,500 goal, having raised $2,500 to date. She has until May to hit that target. Anyone wishing to support her in this charitable cause can do so by following the link below. Once there, you can make a donation to the non-profit and join her in helping brighten people’s days as she runs for those who can’t run…right now.
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Link to learn more about the 4K for Cancer or to make a donation in Kinkade’s name: https://ulman.z2systems.com/morgan-kinkade
Link to the New York Team page with details on their proposed route: http://4kforcancer.org/2018-team-new-york/
