The citys Get Fit! Tullahoma Committee has partnered with the Mach Tenn Running Club for the third annual Couch to 5K (C25K) challenge, which begins Aug. 23.

This group training and exercise program does not require any running experience, according to organizers. It is designed to encourage, motivate and challenge the individual to compete with his or her peers.

Those who sign up for the challenge will meet at Frazier McEwen Park each Tuesday at 6 p.m. beginning Aug. 23 with the goal of running the Jack Dash 5K on Oct. 24 in Lynchburg,

No prior running experience required. Runners are asked to pay the $25 entry fee for the 3.1 mile Jack Dash, which is the goal of the program.

According to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings, Coffee County is ranked 72nd out of 95 counties in the percentage of adults who report a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. The U.S. average is 28 percent, compared to Coffee County at 35.6 percent.

This is an alarming statistic, and what the Get Fit! Tullahoma initiative is trying to reverse, said Tullahoma Parks and Recreation Department Director Frances Samples. There are many people in our community working to make us healthier. The Mach Tenn Running Club is just one example.

This is a life-changing program Tullahoma Parks and Recreation is making available to many people in partnership with the Mach Tenn Running Club.

Diabetes impacts many people in Coffee County and it is not a change people can live with, but this event is to encourage people to take the first steps toward a healthier lifestyle.

This is going to be a fun adventure and a thrill to complete the Jack Dash. said C25K program director Kim Childress. We are excited that Get Fit! Tullahoma has partnered and challenges each runner to finish the Jack Dash 5k on Oct. 24.

The C25K is only a part of a healthy lifestyle, but we believe if you complete the challenge, you will be a different person than you were before.

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Third Couch to 5K event begins Aug. 23 | Health - Tullahoma News and Guardian