Jon Lugbill
An Olympic athlete (Summer Games 1992), Jon Lugbill is a five-time world champion in whitewater canoeing and sports innovator who redefined his sport through innovations in training, equipment design and techniques.

The beauty of Monument Avenue deserves a fair amount of credit for the growth of the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k, but that is only one of the reasons tens of thousands of active people flock to this historic landmark every spring. The vibe created by costumed runners, bands on street corners, spirit groups chanting and spectators cheering makes the event more than a running race. Yes, the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k reached a tipping point when the beauty and the vibe combined with the knowledge that people of all ages and speeds were welcomed and encouraged to participate.

Obviously, all who take part in this celebration come out winners, but there is so much more to this cool event. Last year the Massey Cancer Center raised $290,000 from donations made by the runners and walkers and their supporters. As part of the Healthy School Challenge, ten different schools earned cash awards for their exemplary participation rates. The Sports Backers partnered with the YMCA to host the YMCA 10k Training Team that trained 3,200 runners and walkers for ten weeks at 14 different locations. And, at the First Market Mile more than 1,800 kids were dashing down Franklin Avenue, many completing their final mile in the Sports Backers Fit For Life youth running program that provides incentive prizes to encourage kids to run 26 miles in 10 weeks.

In addition to the great vibe and the community support, we have another reason for you to encourage your family members and friends to join in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k—you can all help Richmond become the most active region in the South. I recently discovered that a 2005 study by the Center for Disease Control ranked the Richmond region 3rd (bronze medal) among large metropolitan areas in the South for the percentage of population that is physically active at their recommended level. And while we trail our rivals DC and Hampton Roads, it’s not by much. So if we can motivate a few more of our sofa-loving friends and family members to enjoy the beauty, vibe and community of the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, we could take the gold and all come up winners.