Shoe shopping run

CHARITY SHOPPING: Taranaki athlete and asperger sufferer Jason Reid is aiming to shoe 100 autism children with his fundraising run in the Pak'n Save Wanganui 3Bridges Marathon next week.

Taranaki athlete Jason Reid is using the generosity of the Wanganui Harrier Club to raise funds for a charity close to his heart.

The club has sponsored Reid's entry into next week Pak'n Save Wanganui 3Bridges Marathon and his focus will be on helping to raise funds for children with autism, a disorder he has first hand knowledge of.

"I am a teacher aide in Taranaki and I teach special needs children with autism, my own son is on the autistic spectrum and I myself have aspergers (a form of autism)," Reid said.

"I am studying two teaching degrees currently and have many contacts in the autism community. I have a goal to raise funds for 100 autism spectrum children in New Zealand to receive 100 pairs of new running shoes.

"Many children with autism or aspergers find team sports a challenge and many find solo sports like running a great help for not only fitness, but emotionally too. Running has helped me enormously and I recently ran solo 80km event around the mountain in Taranaki in November as part of my fundraising. I am also an ambassador for Tarawera Ultra Marathon next year to raise awareness of autism."

Reid is looking to run the full 3Bridges 42km marathon event to raise further funds for autistic children, and was hoping Whanganui people would benefit from his raising awareness talks prior to the December 10 event.

"I will organise talks with local groups in the area about running and autism," Reid said.
He has started a website www.runningonthespectrum.com where he will include the Harrier club as a sponsor as well as a helper to promote the event.

"I have also started an Instagram page. I am looking at having a stall raising funds outside Pak'n Save Wanganui in the days prior and can promote the marathon then as well."
Reid will also donate 10 of the 100 pairs of shoes at the end of 2017 to Whanganui and representatives of the Wanganui Harriers who can help distribute these to encourage running for special needs children.

Meanwhile, 3Bridges Marathon co-ordinator Christian Conder said entries had been flowing in for Saturday week's event and getting close to the club's aim of 500 athletes.

Last year upwards of 600 runners and walkers completed the various distances on offer.
The full 42km marathon course takes in four full laps of the riverside lanes encompassing the Dublin, City and Cobham bridges.

The Property Brokers half marathon is two full laps, the Unichem 10km run just one lap and The Hits 5km is competed over a 5km section.

Conder said early feedback suggested a new class, the Let's Go 5km Corporate Relay, could prove a popular race.

"It includes teams of four running a 5km lap each. We did a bit of research and the feedback was positive that it would be well supported, so we are hoping businesses get behind this race," Conder said.

Entries close on Friday, December 9, the eve of the race.