Almost four years ago, Bee Cave City Councilwoman Kara King said she felt pain in her legs, similar to a muscle strain. She said she had been exercising and didn't think much of the aches until she felt sharp pains in her lungs and one leg swelled, turning purple. She said she was diagnosed with a massive pulmonary embolism—a blood clot that ran from her abdomen to her left ankle—as well as multiple clots that cut off the blood supply to her lungs. Emergency room doctors said King might not survive the clots.

However, King pulled through, and during her three-month recuperation planned the first Austin Stop the Clot 5K in 2011, a local race that was part of a national campaign to increase awareness of blood clot warning signs and raise funds for research.

Since then King has partnered with her husband as well as fellow blood clot survivor Patti Kelly to raise more than $50,000 for the organization, including almost $10,000 during the fourth annual event held May 18 at The Reserve on Lake Travis.

"Directly from this race we have saved 12 people [who were aware] of their or a family member's warning signs of a blood clot," King said.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/austinstoptheclot.