Every year, over 20,000 people take part in the Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon weekend. Peter Van Dyke, CEO of VanDyke Horn, Michigan’s leading public relations firm, will be running the half-marathon this October on behalf of Michigan Humane.
Peter has been involved with Michigan Humane for over eight years. He started out by being on the annual Purrfect Bow Wow Brunch committee and is now an active board member, volunteer and the chair of the communications committee. He has two dogs, Jack and Juno, and one cat, Augustus, who are all MHS alumni!
When asked why he chose Michigan Humane as his charity to run for, he says:
For me, it was an obvious choice to select MHS as my charity for the marathon. Many people don’t realize, but MHS serves humans just as much as they help animals; the organization helps improve people’s quality of life, whether it is through the love of a companion animal or public safety measures. That’s what makes MHS unique among the marathon’s charities.
Peter has always been a runner, typically shorter distances. However, last year he decided to sign up for a half-marathon and completed his first Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank race. He’s now ready for his second half-marathon and encourages others to take the challenge to sign up for one of the Freep Marathon events and choose Michigan Humane as their charity.
Tips on Running the Freep Marathon
Peter has some tips and advice for those who registered to run and for those who are interested:
- Just sign up! You can figure out everything else (like training) later.
- Don’t stress too much about training. Every week add one mile to your long run.
- One week before the race eat a banana a day and lots of pasta for energy.
Because of active members in our communities like Peter, Michigan Humane continues to thrive, and as a result we save more animal lives! Interested in running the 2019 Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon on behalf of homeless animals in Metro Detroit? Visit michiganhumane.org/freepmarathon for more information.
See you at the finish line!
Photo credit: Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon