A Few Thoughts;
by Andrea Cole, Associate Editor;;
"You're either hooked or you're not."

That's how Stow resident Kurt Osadchuk describes running. And Kurt, who is running in a 100-mile race Aug. 4, is definitely hooked.

I was impressed when I met Kurt, who is 47 but only started running three years ago. He said that when he started running, it took him nearly a week to run a full mile. Now he runs in 25 races each year, including marathons and half-marathons. And he is running in the Burning River 100, which is set to begin at 5 a.m. Aug. 4 in Willoughby Hills.

The runners will follow the Cuyahoga River Valley Corridor, and the race will end in Cuyahoga Falls. There is a 30-hour limit, and Kurt said he expects to complete the race in 26 hours.

I cannot imagine running for 26 hours, but Kurt is looking forward to it.

But running isn't the only thing that impressed me about Kurt. Not only does he run in numerous races and stick to an impressive training schedule, he also raises money for charity. With each race, Kurt is raising funds for the Akron Children's Hospital.

As of July 30, Kurt had collected $2,033 for the hospital. People can sponsor Kurt in different races, or just send in donations. Kurt also hands out buttons to donors that state, "You've been tagged," to let people know where to send donations.

He also has set up a Web site, www.childrenneedourhelp.com, where people can make donations and find out more information.

"I wanted to do my own fundraiser, and when I saw the domain name was available, I grabbed it," Kurt said. "I'm trying to get other runners involved. The link is on the Akron Children's Hospital Web site and the Burning River 100 Web site."

Along with training six days a week, and collecting donations, Kurt also volunteers for the Summit Athletic Running Club as a Web master.

"This is my way of giving back to the running community," he said. "That's how the running world works, runners volunteer at different races. I decided to become a Boardmember for the club."

Talking with Kurt inspired me to run more, and really work toward a goal. I want to improve my running time and reach my goal weight. Kurt made it sound easy to accomplish these goals.

I am confident Kurt also will be successful with both running and raising money for the Akron Children's Hospital.

E-mail: acole@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3947