8 Pro Athletes to Run Covid-19 Virtual Marathon for Detroit Charity

June 19, 2020

Elite Runner Management athletes will race on July 18

GROSSE POINTE (MI)– Eight professional athletes represented by Michigan-based Elite Runner Management (ERM) will be racing a virtual marathon relay on Saturday, July 18^th  to raise funds for Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, announced Chris Mengel, founder and owner of the sports agency. “My hometown of Detroit has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus,” Mengel said. “The toll is staggering with over 11,300 cases and 1,420 deaths. A growing number of Detroiters have lost their jobs, homes, and loved ones to the pandemic. Just as tragically, many of these victims are underrepresented minorities who do not have access to proper health care or food. To make things worse, as many as twelve leaders of major Black churches in Detroit have died since March. These lives matter. We are partnering with the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) to do our part. One of the most well-respected and oldest non-profit agencies in Michigan, DRMM is now serving 6,500 meals a day compared to 4,000 before COVID-19 struck, an increase of over 60 percent. They need our help,” Mengel said. “And to their credit, ERM athletes have unanimously agreed that they are willing to step up to the challenge.”

To get the team to the full marathon distance of 26.2 miles, each of the eight ERM athletes will run 3.275 miles (5.270km) in their respective hometowns at 10AM eastern time on July 18. Once they complete their “leg” of the race, Mengel will compile each athlete’s time, compute the team’s total finishing time, and publish the finishing time on the team’s website http://eliterunnermanagement.com and on its social media accounts.

Participating in the fundraiser is easy, Mengel said. “Just make a donation to the Detroit Rescue Mission by PayPal or any major credit card here or through the button on the team’s website or to me directly. Then email me or post on social media your guess of the team’s finishing time using the hashtag #ERMarathon. The person who predicts the closest team finishing time wins a $100 gift certificate and some very cool Elite Runner Management schwag. Also, everyone is welcome to join us and run their own leg of the 3.275 miles on race day. Whether you run or not, know that if you make a donation you will be doing something important to help the lives of those families here in Motown who have been adversely affected by this awful pandemic.”

Elite Runner Management will be providing further information in the coming weeks before the race, but in the meantime, here are some important links about our fundraiser:

To Donate:  You can donate here or go to http://eliterunnermanagement.com (see the donate button & follow the prompts)

For info about ERM, its athletes’ bios, and their personal bests: http://eliterunnermanagement.com

For info on Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries and its mission: https://drmm.org

Social media accounts of ERM: Twitter – @cmengel; Instagram – cmengel123; Facebook – christopher mengel

Questions? Email Chris Mengel at Elite Runner Management: eliterunnermanagement@gmail.com or call at 313-492-5861

The eight Elite Runner Management athletes who will be running the virtual marathon relay are (clockwise from top left): Patrick Rizzo, Weldon Kirui, Carlos Trujillo, Nicole DiMercurio, Tim Young, Rachel Walny, Zach Hine, and Iveen Chepkemoi.