A MILE A DAY KEEPS THE LONJA AWAY...AND, SLEEP, TOO

By Juan Montoya
It's not often that I get up at the unearthly hour of 6 a.m.
Before the sun broke in the east and the cumulus clouds loomed over the Gulf like dark mushroom spires we were headed out to Amigoland to – of all things – watch my nine-year-old run a mile, her first attempt at anywhere near that distance.
Marisol was one of three girls from Hudson Elementary participating in the run. There were several hundred girls and women and about double that number of boys and men who took off toward the levee from the starting point at the end of Palm  and Mexico Boulevards.
There is, I discovered, a healthy and numerous community of milers, marathoners and hobby runners in Brownsville. Of course, this was a sort of introductory run for Marisol and any advice her dad gave her was probably lost between the butterflies in her stomach and the commotion of running in the middle of the pack of 200 hundred or so other girls and women.
When I picked her up and her mother found that there was a late registration entry $15 fee, she was incredulous.
"What? She has to pay to go running?," she fumed. "I don't know about those schools. All they want is money."
Nonetheless, we overcame that hurdle and off we went, even without a cup of coffee to alleviate the jolt of the early rise. But Fall is coming, I am glad to report. With the temperature hovering in the low 70s, the slight easterly breeze made it feel like it was in the high 60s, and the air conditioning in the car was unnecessary.
The event – called the Palm Blvd. Mile – is on its 25th Anniversary and was hosted by the Brownsville Marathoners Running Club, a non-profit organization that has been promoting running in Brownsville since 1976, not the Brownsville schools. However, they do use the district schools to outreach to young running enthusiasts like Marisol.
According to their website, the main objective of the club is to promote and encourage physical fitness and to educate the public on its many benefits. Another objective is to engage and coordinate with other agencies to advocate physical fitness.
The Club holds four events throughout the year: The Palm Blvd Mile done in September since 1987, the  Run for Your Heart-Turkey Trot held the weekend before Thanksgiving since 1982, the Charro Days Classic held in conjunction with the Sombrero Festival in February and is the oldest of the foot races in the Rio Grande Valley since 1979.
The latest addition to the events is the Autism Awareness Fun Run held in April (the picture at left). Participation – especially among school-age children – has increased dramatically. To help curtail total expenses, the club seeks sponsors and has had a few takers, including the Heart Institute which we figure has a natural stake in people exercising for a healthy heart.
Additionally, monies accrued during the year are used to award $4,000 worth of scholarships to Brownsville graduating seniors who qualify for their accomplishments in track and cross-country during their four years in high school and are continuing a higher education.
The Brownsville Marathoners Running Club also assist with BISD cross-country annual activities by providing the finish line set up and refreshments to all runners.
Now, our young marathoner (miler, actually) drew number 725 and was awarded the medal for finishing the mile. It was thrilling for me to see her long hair waving behind her as she strove to end in a sprint on the home stretch, even if she did finish in 104th place in the pack.
"I beat the other two girls from Hudson," she said later after she caught her breath. "A mile is longer than I thought. Now that I know, I think I can probably do better next time."
Brownsville Marathoners, you got another bite.