Laurie Matecki, Chris Carpenter, Bill Gentry F/M distance winners
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Walcott
8-year-old Nathan Rivera completed 31.2 miles on Saturday in the race.
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Walcott
LAURINBURG — 134 runners and walkers began the Habitat for Humanity Run with The Knights Ultra Marathon on Saturday. Following a 1.2-mile course that winded through the St. Andrew’s University campus, they had 24 hours to complete as many laps as they wanted. Participants ranged in age from 8 – 79 and from as far away as Ohio and Botswana, Africa.
The St. Andrew’s football program also participated, with a team goal of completing 100 miles. Scotland County Habitat Executive Director Chris Carpenter said, “They not only completed the St. Andrew’s Football 100 mile Challenge, they crushed it! They did over 200 miles as a team!” The team was awarded a silver trophy for this accomplishment.
Other participants were able to win medals in the categories of half marathon, marathon, 50K, and 100K and a belt buckle for 100 miles. While no one hit 100 miles, Bill Gentry of Virginia came close with 88.4 miles (74 laps). He was the male who completed the farthest distance. Laurie Matecki of NC claimed that honor for the women with 72.9 miles (61 laps). 13 competitors, including 3 locals, completed the 100K (62.14 miles). 45 completed the 50K (31.07 miles), 13 did marathon distance (26.2 miles), and 39 earned a medal for a half marathon (13.14 miles).
The first Habitat for Humanity Run with The Knights Ultra Marathon could not have gone any better according to Scotland County Habitat Executive Director Chris Carpenter, “For a first time event, everything just went really well,” he said. “ My staff and the volunteers did a great job. All the participants enjoyed it and we didn’t have any injuries, but there were probably a lot of sore people by Sunday morning. One thing that was a little disappointing was the turnout for the free community concert. I think the rain earlier in the day may have put some people off.”
He said he heard a lot of complimentary things from the athletes. He heard praise for the beauty of the campus and the length of the course, as well as how friendly all the volunteers were. “A lot of them told me they’d be back next year and be bringing friends with them. Based on the reactions, I’m aiming for 300 participants next year. We have nowhere to go but up!”
“I’d like to thank Laurinburg Presbyterian Church and local restaurants for donating food,” Carpenter said. “Also, we couldn’t have pulled this off without St. Andrew’s University, the City of Laurinburg, and our business sponsors. off. It was a risk to put on something unknown like this, and I thank them for taking a chance on it. I think it was worth the risk and hard work.”
8-year-old competes in race
8-year-old Nathan Rivera of Laurinburg accomplished something many adults haven’t. He completed his first 50K (31.2 miles) marathon on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at the inaugural Habitat for Humanity Run With The Knights Ultra Marathon.
Nathan entered the marathon with his grandfather, Carlos Tobias. Tobias said, “ I used to run, but not for awhile now. I heard about this and asked Nathan if he wanted to do it with me. I told him we’d really have to train for it. He was all for it.”
They spent 2 months training. “We worked up to running 26 miles a week. Some days we’d do 6 miles. Nathan is a real go-getter. When he started training on the treadmill, he wanted to start out at the highest level, at 10. I told him he needed to work up to that.”
All that hard work paid off. Nathan completed 30 laps (35.8 miles) and Tobias completed 39 laps (46.6 miles) earning them both a medal in the 50k.