(JACKSON, Miss.) – Jackson State University assistant professor of sociology Thomas Kersen will run 50 miles to help raise money for student scholarships and to support the JSU Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology.
A competitive runner since 1997, Kersen, 44, will run the Carl Touchstone Memorial Mississippi Trail 50 on March 3. The annual race takes runners through the Longleaf Horse Trail in the DeSoto National Forest just south of Laurel, Miss. About 100 runners are registered for the 50-mile race.
“Rather than me just running in a competition, I thought it might spark some interest in our department,” Kersen said.
A professor at JSU for three years, Kersen previously taught at the University of North Alabama and a number of other universities and community colleges in Mississippi and Arkansas. His research interests include social capital, the sociology of religion, military sociology and intentional communities. A retired medical officer, Kersen has 22 years of combined service in the U.S. Army, the National Guard and the Army Reserve. He received a Ph.D. in sociology from Mississippi State University.
Kersen, who runs an average of 30 to 40 miles per week, said the secret to long distance running is “putting one foot in front of the other.” He said unlike a regular marathon, making the best time is not his primary goal for the 50-mile run.
“I’ll need to scale back and slow down,” he said. “I’m shooting to finish in 9 or 10 hours.”
Donations to the “50-mile run for JSU” can be made through the Jackson State University Development Foundation. To make a donation, call Constance Lawson at 601-979-2357 or download a pledge form here: www.jsums.edu/announcements/50MileRunforJSU.pdf.
For more information about the 50-mile race, visit www.ms50.com.
By Jean Gordon Cook
601-979-1571
jean.g.cook@jsums.edu