BENTONVILLE — Saturday’s half-marathon was a family affair for Ken Berley and his two nephews.
“Heart disease is rampant in my family,” Berley said moments before running the half-marathon at the Bentonville Running Festival.
Berley said he use to weigh 40 pounds more and had high blood pressure.
The combination of his physical condition and his family’s health history led him to get serious about physical fitness.
“I do it for the exercise,” Berley said. “I’m the guy that makes up the back half of the race.”
Berley said he runs for the fun of it and is far from a serious runner.
Running with Berley on Saturday was his nephew Chris Hart and Hart’s 17-year-old son Hunter Hart. Berley said his nephews have the same genetics as him so exercising is also important for them.
Chris Hart of White Hall said he also runs out of concern about his health. “It’s also the only way to get some clarity in my mind is to kill my body,” Chris Hart said.
Hunter Hart was running in his first marathon event and he just thought it would be fun. Berley said every time he runs, he then signs up for the next race to give him some incentive.
Jeff Erickson of Rogers said running for him has become addictive with time. Erickson ran in last year’s Boston Marathon. “It’s the challenge of getting out there and finishing,” he said.
Erickson said he enjoys running to stay in shape and it is also a way to compete with friends.
Nine-year-old Tanner Ward of Bentonville began preparing to run in his first event by running 2 miles each day. Tanner participated in the festival’s 5K run. “I thought it would be good experience to try it once to see if I like it,” Tanner said.
Tanner’s mother Cindy Ward said she supported her son’s decision. “He had to start off with something small before a marathon,” she said.
Stephanie Pollock of St. Louis and Janee Irving of Dallas garnered a lot of looks before they began running in the 5K event. The women wore pink tutus with their running attire.
Pollock said they wore the tutus because it was different. The women work together for the same company, but in different cities. “We decided to run together for the exercise,” Pollock said.
Saturday’s event was the third running event for them to compete in. The two heard about Saturday’s event from a brochure at a race in Fort Worth, Texas.
Chris Sparks and Kenneth Paul, deputies with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, competed in the half-marathon event. The two learned of the race a few weeks ago, but had already been running off and on for a few months, Sparks said.
“It’s a good way to relax,” Paul said.
“Our goal is to run this one and then get ready for the next one,” Sparks said.