At the Running USA 2017 Conference in Orlando, Fla., Race SLO, California Central Coast’s leading endurance sports event producer, was presented the Running USA Youth Program Award on stage during the Hall of Champions Awards Dinner on Sunday, Feb. 26.
Race SLO’s Grizzly Run Club was recognized by Running USA, a leading industry organization, for its impactful community training program that was launched in Aug. 2012 in partnership with the Grizzly Youth Academy , a local residential high school program for at-risk teenage students. To-date, 434 cadet students have successfully completed their first half-marathon and 537 have also finished a 10K race as part of the Grizzly Run Club’s success.
“We are so honored and deeply grateful to be recognized by our industry peers and receive the national youth program award and its accompanying 10,000 dollar grant,” said Samantha Pruitt, Race SLO founder & CEO. “In all Race SLO’s contributions to our community, I am most proud of our Grizzly Run Club. Teaching these underprivileged teenagers to embrace the athlete’s life of discipline, focused work and rewards changes their lives forever. This grant allows us to further our company mission and legacy by providing running gear for our cadets as well as support our Run Club’s alumni after they graduate.”
The Running USA Youth Program Award provides a 10,000 dollar grant to one national youth program each year at the Running USA conference. The annual award goes to the program that best advocates the benefits of youth running, collaborates to combat obesity and supports family & youth health initiatives.
Established in 2008 to bring world class sporting events to the beautiful California Central Coast, the Race SLO 2017 event line-up includes the 6th SLO Marathon, half marathon and 5K, the new Healthy Running Sports Medicine Conference, SLO Ultra trail races and new Mountain Bike Race at Wild Cherry Canyon and SLO GranFondo cycling and VIP event.