Marathon runner started with Gobble Jog in Marietta

Nov. 7, 2019, Marietta - “In the Fall of 2012, my son, Jude, was 18-mo.-old and I felt the need to find something to keep this mama sane. I downloaded the couch to 5k app, registered for the MUST Ministries Gobble Jog on Thanksgiving Day and asked for new running shoes for my birthday,” said Kristin McLendon, a youth minister now joining the staff of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in West Cobb.

“I completed that 5k and loved it so much, I just kept on running.” She just finished the Chicago Marathon, her seventh distance race, and has a life goal of running a marathon in all 50 states. She has run all over the country, but it all started on the Marietta Square with the Gobble Jog.

That first Gobble Jog was seven years ago and today Kristin has come full circle. She is serving on the Gobble Jog’s planning committee. Hours and hours of time and effort go into planning an event for more than 10,000 participants, so Kristin joins a host of staff and volunteers at MUST who work tirelessly to provide a well-organized event.

The Gobble Jog is MUST’s largest fund raiser, usually gaining more than $500,000 to help people in poverty. The event is critical to helping provide food, housing and jobs to more than 33,000 people in this area who are living in poverty.

Registration is still open at gobblejog.org and teams are forming with a minimum of 10 runners. Last year, runners came from 45 states and the event has become one of the largest Thanksgiving Day races in America.

“God is in the details,” Kristin smiled. “He cared for my mama’s heart then and He cares now. He’s given me a place to share what I love, for a ministry I whole heartedly support... back to where it all started.”