(Photo provided) Sage Landis competes at the 2025 OAC Championship in May.

Marietta College’s cross country and track and field teams will host a four-mile twilight fundraising run on Thursday, Nov. 6, beginning at Don Drumm Stadium and finishing at Lookout Point.

The run will start at 5 p.m. and conclude around 6 p.m. Because the sun will set early, most of the event will be held after dark. Runners will wear glow-in-the-dark bands or necklaces, and supporters are encouraged to wear reflective gear or light-up accessories.

The event is designed to raise money for travel costs, new team gear, equipment replacement and planned renovations to the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center, while strengthening community engagement. Donations are encouraged but not required.

“We don’t offer athletic scholarships, so that’s where I think community involvement is great, because the more people we get supporting us, the more we can put that towards our student-athletes and our programs, making it better for them,” Assistant Coach Matthew Hroma said.

Assistant Coach Addison Painter, a 2024 Marietta graduate and former student-athlete, said the event also reflects the college’s culture.

“I believe a big piece of Marietta College as a whole is community engagement,” Painter said. “Everyone that runs the college is super involved with the community. We want to take our program and ingrain ourselves with that as well.”

Hroma said donations will help with both large and small expenses.

“We’re trying to get uniforms and pay for travel,” he said. “But at the same time, we utilize funds for smaller needs, such as a pair of shoes for someone who doesn’t have them or can’t afford them. Donations of any size help.”

Organizers hope the run becomes an annual tradition.

Community members can show support by cheering along the route or making contributions online through the cross country or track and field pages at marietta.edu/athletics. Gifts may also be mailed to the Marietta College Office of Advancement with “Track & Field” in the memo line.

For more information, contact Head Coach Eric Putnam at edp002@marietta.edu, Director of Annual Giving Branden Chambers at branden.chambers@marietta.edu, or Director of Philanthropy Sarah Long at sarah.long@marietta.edu