ULTRA 55 Hour Race Raises over $117,000 for Childhood Cancer
On the cold and windy morning of December 30, 2014, over 230 racers from across the world toed the starting line at the Snowdrop ULTRA 55 Hour Race & Relay. These racers, through the help of donors and sponsors, have raised over $117,000 for Snowdrop Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer and to providing scholarships for college-bound pediatric cancer patients and childhood cancer survivors.
The individual race, the male and female runner who could complete the most miles, was won by Jered Mansell from Dallas, Texas who ran 185.4 miles. The overall female race winner was Linda Truong, also from Dallas, with 136 total miles. For their effort, each won $500, which they donated back to Snowdrop Foundation.
In the relay race, Team Wildebeests took the title as the 10 member team ran a total distance of 345.8 miles in 55 hours.
Mansell, himself a childhood cancer survivor, had this to say about the Snowdrop ULTRA 55, “I don’t know how to put into words the emotions I experienced this New Years. I don’t know how to describe the pain… the excruciating, searing pain that each footfall brought to every joint and muscle fiber in my body or the exhaustion that left me unable to walk even a single step beyond the finish line.”
Race Director Patty Godfrey, “There really is no other race like The Snowdrop ULTRA 55 Hour race. What type of crazy people would travel from all parts of the world to Sugar Land, TX to run for 55 hours on a .76 mile loop? People that are passionate about our cause, and challenging everything they thought they knew about ultra-running.”
Snowdrop Foundation president and founder Kevin Kline explained, “The pediatric cancer patient goes through bouts of nausea, anxiety, vomiting, headache, body aches, dry heaving, tears, dehydration, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue and denial. I witnessed our runners experiencing these same issues.”
About Snowdrop Foundation
The Snowdrop Foundation provides scholarships for college-bound pediatric cancer patients and childhood cancer survivors while raising awareness and funding for continued research to cure childhood cancer. For more information, visit www.snowdropfoundation.org.
