The first year of the race was taxing for the organizers. The approximately 55 mile route was changed to 51 miles after organizers had to cut off some of the turns in Selma.
Fifty-one miles is a lot of ground to cover for any race director, along with the hand off points, hydration stops and other logistics. As Chames said, “we were runners, not race directors.” The race brought in many more participants than expected, from all across the country.
“We were initially thinking that it would be a regional race, but we had a national presence. People wanted to experience the Selma to Montgomery march and see what those giants did in regular clothes and regular shoes,” Chames says.
Once the event was over, participants of the inaugural Selma to Montgomery relay race were already hungry for more.
“When we looked at our post-race surveys, the athletes felt that this was a needed event that they really enjoyed, and more importantly, they wanted to bring back their families to experience the event,” explains Chames.
After the success of the first race, the Walk Jog Run Club started to understand the true significance of what they were creating. They added several more races to their lineup and the Civil Rights Race Series was born.
The series is guided by three pillars - history, health and financial support. Through each race, organizers teach participants about local civil rights history, encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and donate revenue from the race to charity organizations.
“We work with civil rights organizations, we work with food banks, those types of organizations that help those that need help,” Chames says.