University athletics to hold Breathe Easy 5K

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee, along with the University of Minnesota Athletic Department, will hold the fourth annual Breathe Easy 5-kilometer run for cystic fibrosis at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The race will begin at Coffman Memorial Union and will run a course through campus to raise money for cystic fibrosis research.

“This is open to anyone in the public,” SAAC member Megan Smith said. “Many local businesses have donated gift cards and the athletic department has donated apparel to be used for prizes.”

Student-athletes from all sports will not only help run the event, but participate in the race as well.

People will have the opportunity to decorate signs to honor those with cystic fibrosis that will be displayed along the course of the race. The event will also include free food, handouts, T-shirts and booths set up for local companies.

“We usually see 75 to 100 people at the event,” Smith said. “Pre-registration is down this year though, which is weird because we’ve put more effort into marketing the event than in previous years.”

SAAC has reached out to a multitude of student groups, sororities and fraternities as well as the University’s running club, for support in participating and volunteering in the event, Smith said.

The Minnesota Ragtime Band — a small section of the University’s marching band — will also be performing during the race.

The race was started four years ago by former University of Minnesota student Ben Wegemer, who has a brother with cystic fibrosis and began the event to raise awareness and money for the disease.

“We’ve been able to get the word out through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Affairs Anissa Lightner said, adding that the CF Foundation has promoted the run, as well.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of 30,000 children and adults in the U.S.