With Clinton being a town that is nearly 200 years old, there are many historic elements within it. The town was the site of small skirmishes during the Civil War. The town was once known as the “Baby Chick Capital of the World.” However, to many, the most historic place is the town square full of buildings in the Victorian and Italianate styles. This historic core has even inspired the name of one local marathon.
The Historic Half Marathon and 5k will be held in Clinton on June 14th, starting at the square. The course will take you along a variety of historical landmarks in Clinton, MO, such as the Anheuser-Busch building, Artesian Park, and, of course, the historic downtown Clinton Square.
As of June 3rd, there are over 200 runners signed up for the 9th annual event, with each participant who runs helping children in the community. All of the money raised in this event goes to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks. This program pairs an adult with a child to give them mentorship and a reliable friend.
“We do an extensive match process to find a good match. Then those bigs will take the littles out, typically about twice a month, and they’ll go do anything. They’ll go to the movies and dinner, or we’ve had some take them to like the Royals games and things like that. It could even just be going to the park and hanging out for a little bit” Erica Barnhart, the Big Brother Big Sister Director of Henry County, said.
As a mother of two and a local to Clinton, Barnhart fit perfectly into the role, which brought about a new program. This year, the organization obtained a designated room at the Clinton Middle School where Barnhart stays to be the “big” for multiple kids, meeting with them every day. The funds from the race are used to keep programs like these going.
“We use that money to cover any of our classroom expenses and any match day activities that we do. So in April, we did a match day activity at a natural flow right down the way and the kids came and did a pottery which was very fun” Barnhart said.
On top of running in the race, there are multiple ways to support Big Brothers Big Sisters. The organization also accepts financial donations and clothing donations. Donation bins for clothes are located at Ace Hardware, 1804 E Ohio St, and Oak Star Bank, 1508 N 2nd St. However, if you simply want to exercise while helping a good cause, there is still plenty of time to sign up for the run.
There are over 150 spots left for the half marathon and a little under 50 left for the 5K. You can register online, and as an incentive, there will even be some awards handed out after the course is finished. Awards will be given to the overall male and female, overall master’s male and female, and the top three in each of the following age groups: 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70+. The overall male and female winners also earn a $200 cash prize.
If you do intend to run, make sure to be at the square at 7 a.m. for the half marathon and 7:30 a.m. for the 5k.
