Bearathon, ‘the toughest half-marathon in Texas,’ raises support for student scholarships

The Bearathon is a lot of things to a lot of people. It’s “the toughest half-marathon in Texas.” It’s perhaps the greenest race in Texas, thanks to the cup-free system used for the first time this year. And it’s Student Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year, with proceeds going to student scholarships.

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Student Foundation was founded in 1969 by President Abner McCall as an organization dedicated to serving the university and its students. Today, its mission is “building community-minded servants and leaders … and entrusting them with the responsibility of … recruiting qualified students, raising scholarship funds and building goodwill among alumni and students.” The Bearathon was begun in 2003 and runs a course that begins on campus, runs along the Brazos River and then through Cameron Park before ending up back on campus.

Between the half-marathon and the 5k fun run, hundreds of runners from across the state enter the event each year, raising thousands of dollars for scholarships — a Student Foundation priority for years, but an appropriately timely endeavor given the ongoing President’s Scholarship Initiative.

Sic ’em, Bearathon participants and Student Foundation!