If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter , you probably see my posts about F3 and our boot camps and run groups . (Apologies for taking up your feed with those; but I really feel exercise has made a difference in me. Sure, I’m still not in great shape; but I’m in BETTER SHAPE than I would be if I didn’t exercise). Here’s information I saw in The New Irmo News about a program my church has sponsored for some time now. I hope someone reading will see that if I can do it, you can too!

3 years ago I NEVER ran. Decided one day to get out there and ran/walked 3.1 miles. Stayed with it….ran over 20 5Ks since then….and 2 months ago I ran my first half marathon (didn’t stop, beat my time goal,too)! YOU can do it!

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Riverland Hills Baptist Church is offering a 12-week “learn to run” program for the community. “Run for God” combines a weekly Bible study with group training sessions to prepare participants to run a 5k (3.1-mile), an 10k (6.2-mile) or a half marathon (13.1-mile) road race. A 5k walking program is also available. Individuals who complete the program will run or walk in a local road race on May 13 or 20.

The program meets three times a week at the church, located at 201 Lake Murray Boulevard, on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 pm, starting February 12. The Bible study illustrates the parallels between endurance running and the endurance required by one’s faith. The program includes group training sessions where participants run and walk with the support of their group.

Run for God is targeted to beginners—absolutely no experience is required. The half marathon program is targeted to individuals who can already run a distance of seven miles. Adults and children 7th grade and older (with a parent) are invited to participate. The $50 program fee includes two race shirts and entry into the Empower Run 5k and 10k road race held in Irmo on May 13. The $70 fee for the half marathon program includes two race shirts and entry into the Governor’s Cup Half Marathon in downtown Columbia on May 20. The deadline to register for the program is February 5.

“Since we first started this program in 2011, we’ve introduced more than 600 people to the sport of running,” says Run for God coordinator Jeanna Moffett. “This recreation ministry can improve both the spiritual and physical aspect of people’s lives and can make a tremendous difference in their overall health and well-being.”

For more information, contact Barbara Kirby at Riverland Hills Baptist Church at 803-772-3227 or Jeanna Moffett at 803-407-4445. Register online at RiverlandHills.org.