Central Texas Medical Center

Gear Up 10 Mile Run

Lee Graham, president of the San Marcos Manufacturing Association, sent out a challenge to the members of his organization at their last meeting in 2012 to increase its annual scholarship awards from about $11,000 to $50,000.

SMMA awards seven scholarships to students in Central Texas. Each scholarship usually amounts to about $1,500.

"What these young people pay for a semester of college, I paid for four years," Graham said. "I said, honestly $1,500 doesn't go too far. That may pay for the books but not much more."

Graham said the first step toward achieving that goal will be the Gear Up 10 Mile Run, a partnership between Central Texas Medical Center and SMMA. The race, which will take place at the Tanger Outlets in San Marcos at 7 a.m. on Feb. 10, will pit Central Texas athletes against each other on a course lined by the likes of Armani, Brooks Brothers and Hollister.

"We're going to run a good race, and I hope people will say, 'This is well organized, this was well-done,'" Graham said. "We want to plan on this on an annual basis, and that's what our goal is."

Graham said he has seen the rising costs of education affect the lives of his children. Three of his four children graduated from college, and two of them had student loans that "took years to pay off."

"That's a problem, whenever young people start out, they get their first job and then they've got this big debt thing hanging over their head," he said.

Graham said he hopes the organization can raise $25,000–$30,000 in 2013 and be up to $50,000 by 2015.

"It's not going to happen in a single year," he said. "It's going to be a growth process, but if you don't set the challenge out there, then you don't ever take a step toward it."

Pre-registration for the run is $40 through Feb. 6. Those wishing to register the day of the event can do so for $50. Each runner will receive a long-sleeve, high-tech shirt and a commemorative souvenir from the run.