First Baptist Church to Host First Dallas Easter Run on April 19

DALLAS, April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The 11,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas, covering six blocks of downtown, will host a four-mile run in the city on the Saturday before Easter.  An inaugural event for the church, the First Dallas Easter Run, which will benefit the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, will be held April 19. The course will begin and end at the Jeffress Fountain Plaza on First Baptist's downtown campus, located at 1707 San Jacinto.

"We're hoping this will become an Easter tradition," said First Baptist Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. "Just as the followers of Christ ran from the empty tomb with the news of His resurrection, we will be running with the same excitement and desire to help others."

First Baptist officials said they believe this is the first time an Easter run has been held in downtown Dallas.

They expect between 600 and 1,000 participants, including many elite runners and even Orville Rogers, a 96-year-old First Dallas member who will be the honorary chairman of the run. Rogers has set a number of world records for the men's 95- to 99-year-old age group.

Cash prizes will be given to the top three male and female runners – with $500 each going to the fastest man and woman – and the top male and female masters runners.

Race-day registration will open at 7 a.m. A one-mile family fun run/walk will be held at 7:30, followed by a four-mile run at 8.

To register in advance, please visit http://www.dallaseasterrun.org/.

Every runner will receive a drawstring backpack and a race T-shirt. There will also be a complimentary post-race breakfast and activities for kids, and everyone is invited to come back for Easter services at First Baptist Dallas on April 20 at 9:15 and 10:50 a.m.

First Baptist opened its state-of-the-art, $135 million campus on Easter Sunday 2013. The new campus includes a 3,000-seat worship center connected by a glass sky bridge to the five-story Horner Family Center and Parking Garage, where runners should park on the day of the event. The run will begin at Jeffress Fountain Plaza, which also features a stainless steel cross atop a pedestal 68 feet high.

For more information about First Baptist, please visit http://www.FirstDallas.org.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ronda Cantor      203.767.9379
[email protected]

SOURCE First Baptist Church of Dallas