Disney World was a favorite place of Sophie and Madigan and we have incredible memories from our frequent trips there as a family. Sophie and Madigan also shared a love of all Disney princesses, so we thought what better tribute than a princess themed marathon!!! Sophie and Madigan would have loved it and we're sure they will be staring down as we run with thousands of other runners dressed in crazy princess dresses, bright pinks, and puffy tutus.
We also realized that this would present a tremendous opportunity for us to raise funds for the themed playground we are building in the Sophie and Madigan Lillard Memorial Park. So we reached out to friends, family, and friends of friends to join us in the Princess Half Marathon. We were shocked by the amount of people that immediately said they would love to join us.
It did not take long for us to realize that we are not runners...never have been. Nor are many of the runners that stepped up and committed to join us in the Princess Half Marathon. We realized that we better get training if we are going to be able to finish a 13.1 mile run in February. And thus Running for Sophie and Madigan began.
Running for Sophie and Madigan is our long term commitment to run for the memory of Sophie and Madigan.
Not only is this a way to honor Sophie and Madigan, but it allows us to fundraise for Sophie and Madigan's Playground, support local organizations and charities by participating in local running events, and support all our new "running buddies" as they work through their own training processes. We encourage others to join us in these events, or to find and participate in similar events in your community.
We would be honored if you would join Running for Sophie and Madigan and help us honor our beautiful girls. There are many ways you can become part of the Running for Sophie and Madigan team:
- Run in a running event that benefits Sophie and Madigan's Playground. Click here to view and register for upcoming events.
- Sponsor a Running for Sophie and Madigan team member participating in one of our fundraising events. View our Sponsor a Runner page to search for a runner in one of our active events
- Participate in local running events and help spread the word about Sophie and Madigan's Playground
- Volunteer or join us in our own running event - Sophie and Madigan's Pirate and Princess 5K
- Find a running buddy and help them as they train to reach their own running goal