On November 11th, Courthouse Road SDA Church will host the mile 12 water station for the Richmond Marathon.

Last year, we had an amazing turnout for the race where we served thousands of runners. Like last year, we will not have our church services at the church on Sabbath, November 11th, but we will be meeting at the marathon during service time. We will also have a post-race soup and sandwich meal at the church.

We need at least 25 people to help with this event.

Please let Pastor Scott know if you are willing to be part of this important ministry event.

There will be a lot of road closures near the water station that we are running.

We will park at Bethany Christian Church, 5400 Forest Hill Avenue, Richmond, VA 23225, which is on the Southeast side of the water station. The church is located on the corner of Forest Hill Ave and Leicester Road. 

• Forest Hill Avenue westbound will be closed from Semmes Avenue to Melbourne Drive from 7:00 AM till 11:15 AM.
• If you are coming from the West on Forest Hill, the Powhite Parkway Forest Hill Exit Southbound will close at 7 AM as well.

To help navigate the road closures, you can use the Waze App which will have the road closure information.

This year, we have a new water system that they are using. There is a 275-gallon water tank that will use a system of water hoses and an electric water pump. We will be mixing the Nuun hydration drink in 32-gallon “trash cans.” We will have 2 clear food-grade liners and will use paddles to mix the Nuun powder and the water. People mixing the Nuun will wear food gloves. The Nuun will go into the Nuun cups and the water will go into the unlabeled cups.

• We will have the water station first and then the Nuun station.
• We will have the two stations separated by about 25 yards. When we arrive, we will set the pump/hose system up and then we will set up the cups for the water.
• We will fill the cups about halfway with the hoses and stack these at least 3 levels high before the runners arrive. 
• At the Nuun stations, we will use plastic pitchers to fill the cups and stack these at least 3 levels high as well. (It takes about 10 minutes for the Nuun to fully dissolve in the water.)
• As the runners arrive, we will communicate that the water station is first and then the Nuun station. As we pass the cups to the runners, we will hold the cups at the bottom and hand them to the runners. Many runners will use two or three cups to get the hydration they need. 
• We will also have someone about 15 yards before the water station telling the runners that the water station is first and the Nuun station is second. The runners will have gone through 4 other stops before they get to us. 

The marathon will happen if it is freezing or hot, rain, snow, sleet, or sunny weather. So we will be there, as well.

We will have a soup and sandwich lunch prepared for after the marathon. You will have worked up an appetite from helping others find water. You will then receive a lunch of hot soup and a delicious sandwich.

You were amazing on Sabbath! Not that this is surprising, because you usually are amazing.

How did you feel being there helping and cheering for these people, most who you will never personally meet? I know that God smiled on you. You did what he called us to do--give someone who is thirsty so water (or Nuun). But more than what you did you them, did you receive what they did for you? They said thank you, they smiled, they took the cup you offered. 

Really, they didn’t need us there because Sports Backers would have found someone to do that job. But we needed them because this ministry helped us. We came closer together as a church. We got to help one another by filling a need. We got to see Ed be the comedian that he is. We got to hear Brenda (someone gave her the captain badge--Ed?) tell people what to do. We got to see a family wonder over to us and jump in supporting the runners with handing out the Nuun. The family had two young children and one of the girls shrieked with joy when a runner took her cup.

The only way we can Build Bridges to God is by being a community and going out into the community to love as Jesus loves. And you did that so well!

- Pastor Scott