Skip to main content

Sophie's Run

Sophie's Run takes a rest in Batavia

By Philip Anselmo

A trio of runners in periwinkle pullovers brightened up an otherwise drab afternoon in Batavia today. Nicole Chuchmach, Jill Harper and Natalie Atkinson gathered outside the RV run by their "support team" outside Wal-Mart today to get out the word about Sophie's Run.

Sophie's Run is meant to raise awareness of colorectal cancer, and to do that, the three ladies left their home of Milton, Ontario in Canada on September 1. They will run nearly 500 miles to New York City, where they should arrive on October 24, spreading the word about colorectal cancer all the way.

The runners have been through the heat and the cold, the wind and the rain. They did their best to prepare, but they couldn't predict every obstacle, such as, say, massive bulldogs chasing them down rural lanes.

"You train," said Jill Harper, "but you can't train the emotions."

Officially, the three ladies are in Caledonia, where they'll start tomorrow on the next leg of their run down through Avon and Lima to Canandaigua on their way to the finish line in New York City. For the past few days, they've been staying in Batavia at the Holiday Inn—whom they have nothing but profuse graitude for hosting them. They've even recruited a local gal to run the next 14 miles with them.

For more information on Sophie's Run, check out the Web site and keep up with the blogs.

Authentically Local