Charles Jackson - Running with Adult Supervision

Parents Jeff Jackson and Deborah Snyder “look at each other in amazement when they watch Charles run and win consistently”.  Jeff acknowledges that neither he nor Deborah are particularly athletic. Charles’ journey toward running started one spring day in 2011.  At the age eight, the second grader announced after school that he was excited about joining the running club at Livsey Elementary in Tucker.  Each week the club practiced stretching, running laps and learning about running basics.  Many of the club members, including Charles, were participating in the Tucker Road Race so his parents signed him up for the one mile fun run.  On race day Charles begged his parents to allow him to participate in the 5K.  They reluctantly did so and Charles won his age group with a time of 29:32. Since the 2011 Tucker Road Race, Charles has run an average of three 5K or longer races per month logging fifty-five races in 2011 and sixty-nine races in 2012, many of which were Black Bag Race Series events.

Charles is proud of his time of 2:01 time at the January 2012 Calloway Gardens Half Marathon even though his PR was achieved at the December 2012 Monroe Half Marathon. Charles with his father Jeff and friends Casey and Ed Hall His day was made at the Monroe Half when adult runners congratulated the young runner and advised him that “try as they might, they could not catch him” as he ran a 1:49 race pace. His only mishap was at the 2011 4^th of July Lake Sinclair 5K when running on gravel he was knocked over by the crowd of adult runners.  Charles badly skinned his knee, arm, and face.  Charles got up and ran to his parents, who were distraught and seeking medical assistance.  Charles noticing the pack moving ahead without him stopped crying and ran after them spurring medical aid.  He caught up and finished second in his age nineteen seconds behind the winner.  Charles received medical aid after the race and was featured with a half page article in the local newspaper sports page written by a reporter in attendance who was impressed with his perseverance.

Charles with his father on a skiing tripCharles recalls his most exciting race was the Dental Dash for Diabetes 5K in March 2012 in the old fourth ward of Atlanta.  The course was three laps with Charles trailing a fast ten year old participant. Charles gained on the faster lad each lap only to finish six inches behind him.  Both boys shook hands and walked away smiling-a lesson in life for adult runners.  Charles  runs mostly with adults and has met several area youth runners his age.  He admits in a rare instance slowing down at the end to allow another boy to win who “had never won a race”.    

Charles won his age group in the 2012 Black Bag Race Series with 340 pointsCharles with Georgia Congressman John Lewis and ran a total of 171.6 Black Bag Miles.  Charles greatest accomplishment was getting his proud parents “off the couch” with Deborah slow jogging in races and Jeff participating as well.

Bob checking out from the back of the back.  Look for the May profile on Macon speedster Amber Hodor and June on the Hawkinsville flash Mitchell Sinyard.