By Katie Jenkins

More than 70 ACU students and alumni are grabbing their running shoes for the Dallas White Rock Marathon Sunday.

As an added bonus, for the third consecutive year, all past and present ACU students competing in the race will receive a free shirt, compliments of the ACU Student Association and the Alumni Association.

“It was an initiative started by Charles Gaines and Luke Cochran,” said Carson Henley, senior pre-dental major from Colleyville and executive treasurer of the Student’s Association. “They started wanting to sponsor a marathon for ACU students and ACU alumni, so they decided that they were going to have T-shirts made.”

The T-shirts proved to be a success, even providing encouragement to Henley when he competed in the marathon during the past two years.

“Whenever you’re running and you see someone with an ACU T-shirt, and they say, ‘Go Wildcats!’ or something like that, then I’m good,” Henley said. “I have adrenaline for the next two minutes.”

J.P. Ralston, sophomore business finance major from Plano, is competing in the White Rock half-marathon for the first time this year. He competed in Marathoning for Miracles in Abilene last year and plans to compete in other marathons in the future.

“I’m excited to run the half-marathon this year to see all the ACU alumni and students and hopefully beat my last time,” Ralston said.

This year, in addition to the T-shirts given to Abilene residents, ACU shirts have been shipped to 33 alumni competitors not residing in Abilene.

“There is so much student interest in this event that we wanted to keep going,” said Henley.

SA is still looking for more people from Abilene who want shirts. To pick up a free shirt for the marathon, visit the SA office in the basement of the campus center.

Benefits will go to support the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Online registration is closed, but entries will be available for purchase at the Health & Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday.