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REACH Inc. hosts 12th annual race for Independence in Bozeman

Posted at 7:18 AM, Jul 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-05 09:18:15-04

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Hundreds of runners in Bozeman woke up early and headed to the trails to compete in Reach Inc.’s  12th annual Race For Independence.

At the East Gallatin Recreational Area, runners burned a few calories before their 4th of July get-togethers, running the 1K, 5K, and 10K. A total of 354 people participated in this race for a good cause.

“This is one of Reach’s biggest fundraisers to help raise money for adults with developmental disabilities in our community,” Race Director Dee Metrick said.

Some runners were there to get after it. Jordan Black won the 5K in just over 17 minutes.

“It felt pretty nice the trails were a little muddy made it a little slippery but other than that it was nice,” Black said.

Others were there to celebrate their nation’s birthday for in style for a great cause.

“It was so much fun, nice and cool with the clouds, it’s a beautiful day to be running a race. It’s really energetic, lots of people out there cheering you on the whole time,” 10K finisher, Casey Crosby said.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of the volunteers.

“We had people show up as early as 4 am. We have between 60 and 70 people to help us got off the ground. We have a ton of sponsors, when people get involved they really care and bring their friends. It’s also a beautiful course these in town trails are amazing,” Metrick added.

With the success of this event over the last 12 years, race officials say they’re expecting to be here for year number 13 on the same date next year,