Madigan Avenue, like a lot Morgantown’s thoroughfares, weaves and undulates around a neighborhood with tons of character.
There are those homes with architectural trappings from another time.
And a bar, Mundy’s Place, that’s just plain timeless — having been part of townie proceedings since 1949.
Of course, Madigan has its hills, this being Morgantown and all.
Lots of them.
“Yeah, that’s always interesting,” Dan Erenrich said.
Erenrich, a retired athletic director of Morgantown High School, mapped out a course for runners through that area in 2019, with the help of Ed Frohnapfel, who coached cross-country at University High.
It was all for the aid of Monongalia County Special Olympics.
Erenrich is a longtime volunteer. One of his daughters is a Special Olympian who competed for Monongalia County in tennis and track and field in past years.
“I know what Special Olympics can do for a person,” he said. “I know what Special Olympics can do for families.”
Thus, the Run to Mundy’s Place was born that year for the benefit of Mon’s Special Olympics chapter.
More than 70 participants laced up their shoes for the 5K run and walk that began at the front of Mundy’s Place at 669 Madigan Avenue, snaking and unspooling through First Ward.
A shot through White Park brought the racers and walkers right back around to where they started.
On Aug. 6, they’ll do it all again for the 2023 edition.
To register and for race details, visit www.runsignup.com and type “Run to Mundy’s Place” in the search field.
He appreciates that Mundy’s Place continues to host the event, which is now sanctioned on the Morgantown Area Grand Prix running circuit.
So, too, does he appreciate all the sponsors, all the volunteers and all the athletes who make Special Olympics what it is.
Erenrich also appreciates the meteorologists who are putting the weather reports together these days. Heat advisories abounded Friday but AccuWeather projects out a more-seasonal high of 77 for race day next weekend.
Which wasn’t the case during the inaugural run in 2019.
It was 85 degrees when runners took their marks that afternoon.
Kristian Rowan, a volunteer and competitor who took home gold and bronze medals in swimming events at the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle the year before, was dispensing water, chilled ice-cold in bottles.
Donations from volunteers paid for her plane ride.
The competitor used to making a literal big splash gamely soldiered on, in the heat that shimmered up from the pavement trod by the pack.
“I’d rather be in the water today,” she said with a grin. “Not handing it out.”
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