500 Festival Mini-Marathon. And St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers was with them from start to finish.On May 7, the day before the race, John Baldea, M.D., and athletic trainers with the St. Francis Sport Medicine program, conducted a health expo for participants. They provided last-minute tips about hydration, stretching techniques and how to reduce blistering. They also provided free topical pain-relieving gels to the runners.
St. Francis volunteer employees and their families and friends were on hand before dawn on race day. They handed out 70,000 cookies to the 35,000 participants needing rapid nourishment after finishing the 13.1 mile course.
This year’s event marked the 29th time St. Francis has been a corporate sponsor of the nation’s largest half-marathon.
Photos by LeeAnn Abercrombie-Logan
