Cowtown Marathon is family affair at UNT Health
While many of the 29,000 runners in February’s 48th annual Cowtown Marathon were pushing themselves to the limit, students, faculty and staff from UNT Health Fort Worth were there to provide them the support to push through — both medically and physically.
This year’s race was a true family affair for UNT Health with 175 faculty, staff and students volunteering and several running. The academic medical center serves as the official medical sponsor of the race.
For Daniel Lee-Munoz, who will soon graduate from UNT Health’s College of Nursing, volunteering offered him the chance to apply what he’d learned in class to real-life scenarios. In fact, being on the sidelines to support runners exemplifies exactly why he chose the profession.
“I made the decision early in life that I wanted to be a nurse,” Lee-Munoz said. “When my grandfather required hospice support, nurses were the ones in our house taking care of him around the clock. They made us, and him, as comfortable as possible at the end. That’s what made me realize how much the profession aligned with my moral compass.”
Lee-Munoz admits he didn’t realize the race was happening until he was asked to volunteer a week before, but that didn’t stop him from deciding to volunteer the entire weekend.
“The first day we saw a lot of blisters,” he said. “But the second day, that’s when the dehydration and confusion set in for the longer races. We would get them water and elevate their legs to get blood flow back to their head.”
Most runners recovered after rest, fluids and electrolytes, while some required IV fluids, he explained.
Volunteering for the marathon proved to be the perfect study session for Lee-Munoz. Between helping runners, he would sit down and study for exams and do homework. As fate would have it, his exam covered the exact thing he was helping runners with throughout the weekend.
Student volunteers from UNT Health’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine also came out to support runners.
Like Lee-Munoz, second-year TCOM student Mariana Zollinger said the race provided her with a way to practice what she has learned in class.
“Being able to support the runners and contribute to their safety and well-being while gaining hands-on exposure to medical care made the experience incredibly meaningful,” Zollinger said.
For her, the highlight of race weekend was working alongside her fellow volunteers and meeting community members who helped make the event possible.
While the volunteer time was inspiring, what was even more inspiring to Zollinger were the runners.
“I loved seeing people of every age and at every stage of life out on the course giving it their all,” she said.
Many of the runners she saw giving it their all happened to be faculty, staff and students at UNT Health.
TCOM students Elizabeth and Victoria Doan, who are sisters, ran the half marathon together. Despite Victoria’s initial skepticism, the pair loved every second of training and crossing the finish line together.
“My sister was actually the one who convinced me that running was going to be fun,” Victoria said. “Throughout training, we created our own traditions like chasing the sunset on the trails, eating post-run pickles, and treating ourselves with a burger when we earned it. Running with her turned the hard days into the days I looked forward to.”
Other runners included Annabel Luna-Smith, senior program project coordinator for UNT Health’s Division of the Chief of Staff, and her husband. The duo first ran the 10K 12 years ago; this year marked their eighth year running the half marathon.
“I strongly believe in the principles of lifestyle health sciences, and being physically active is one of those,” Luna-Smith said. “As we get older, challenging our bodies to train for the race is one way we stay purposefully active we are disciplined and stay committed, even when we don’t feel like it. We always say, ‘Nobody is gonna do it for you.’ We also enjoy the community that is built around this event in our city.”
Other runners included Noah Drew, associate vice president of research operations, who ran the full marathon. His initial plans to run alongside his wife were derailed when she broke her arm, but he was able to run for both of them, crossing the finish line with her cheering him on.
The longest race of the weekend, the ultra marathon, was run by Tamara Willmoth, associate professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.
“I was stoked that the weather was so beautiful,” Willmoth said. “The music along the route added to the excitement, and I was thankful for the Fort Worth communities who provided some delish pickle juice and bananas when I needed them. The race support at the Cowtown is always top-notch. I had the best day!”
As the final runners crossed the finish line on Sunday and the weekend came to a close, the presence of UNT Health Fort Worth was felt in every corner of the race — from medical tents and water stations to those running the race and even the UNT Health Facilities team building the finish line. The academic medical center had its hand in every part of this year’s race.
UNT Health helped ensure the Cowtown Marathon remained not only a noteworthy race, but a safe and supportive experience for thousands of participants.