A Decade of Fitness and US History
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 12, 2013 -- On July 11, 1804, former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Vice-President Aaron Burr met on the shores of Weehawken, New Jersey, for a pistol duel. Aaron Burr’s first shot proved fatal. Alexander Hamilton passed away the following day, leaving behind an important legacy as a Revolutionary War hero, signer of the US Constitution, author of the Federalist Papers, and creator of the nation’s financial systems.
Most people wouldn’t think to combine history with exercise. But in 2004, Kim Watkins, owner of inSHAPE Fitness, decided to create the Hamilton Fun Run as a creative way to remember Alexander Hamilton and get exercise out of the gym.
Watkins explains, “The inSHAPE philosophy of physical fitness is designed around the marriage of exercise with real life. I'm a US History buff, and when I realized that Hamilton's house was near my apartment, I started making it part of my own running routes. It became a bigger group years later, and we were so proud running this route every year.”
At 6:00 am this morning, Kim and her group of running and history savants completed the 10th annual Hamilton Fun Run, which always takes place on the anniversary of the Hamilton-Burr duel. To honor a decade of the Hamilton Fun Run, the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society (The AHA Society) partnered for the event.
“We’re so happy that inSHAPE Fitness has honored Alexander Hamilton in this way for the past decade. It was wonderful to join in the event and greet the runners at the end of their route,” says Rand Scholet, AHA Society President. “And it’s such a special path for the runners to take,” he added.
The early morning 11-mile run started out at Alexander Hamilton’s grave located at Trinity Church, from which runners set off through the streets of Manhattan. The group swung through Central Park, where they passed the stately 1880 Alexander Hamilton statue, and arrived at Hamilton Grange National Memorial.
The Grange, located in St. Nicholas Park and run by the National Park Service, was the only home that Alexander Hamilton ever owned. There, Rand Scholet and other Chapter Presidents from the AHA Society greeted the runners into the house, which was opened early on this special occasion for the two groups.
Watkins continued, “The run on this day honors the significance of Hamilton's life and work and of course, his tragic death. Our Founding Fathers should be highlighted as much as is possible, and integrating physical fitness into other areas of life is the single best way to maintain longterm health.”
The Hamilton Fun Run is one of many events set to honor Alexander Hamilton this summer. The AHA Society’s “Celebrate Hamilton” program continues on July 12-14th with additional events in Manhattan and Northern New Jersey. For a full list of Hamilton events, visit The-AHA-Society.com and click on “Official Events.”
About The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society
The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society (The AHA Society) was created to promote a more accurate and widespread understanding of one of the United States' most influential Founding Fathers - Alexander Hamilton. Officially formed in October 2011, The AHA Society raises awareness on Alexander Hamilton and the Founding period through a variety of initiatives. These initiatives include informational websites (see AllThingsHamilton.com), exhibits, presentations, original research, educational outreach, and event programs. The AHA Society holds two annual programs: Happy Birthday Hamilton! (mid-January) and Celebrate Hamilton (mid-July).
Official website: http://The-AHA-Society.com
Press page: http://the-aha-society.com/index.php/about-the-aha-society/upcoming-events-and-news
About inSHAPE Fitness
inSHAPE Fitness offers in-home personal training, corporate fitness, and nutritional consulting. inSHAPE focuses on functional fitness and assisting their clients in leading healthy, active lives without the need to join a retail gym. It's elite team of in-home personal trainers and other wellness experts work with clients to devise the right programming based on logistics, abilities, goals, and schedules, and then guides clients through their customized program. InSHAPE also works with clients via Skype and broadcasts daily podcast workouts, available on its website and iTunes.
Official website: http://www.inshapellc.com/index.php
Press page: http://www.inshapellc.com/fitness/News.html
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Kim Watkins, inSHAPE Fitness, http://www.inshapellc.com, (212) 362-1001, [email protected]
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