Event Description
As of 10:46 AM on Thursday, June 8, this event is SOLD OUT! Donations are still open, but there will be no more spots available.
Join Us!
Take part in this inaugural event and join us on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at Three Creeks Metro Park in southeast Columbus. There are distance options for beginner and experienced participants. You can choose from a 5K (3.1 miles), 15K individual (9.3 miles), or our 15K Relay (teams of three where each team member does 3.1 miles).
About Running Against ALS
Running Against ALS is a run set up to benefit Officer Steve Asch, who was diagnosed with ALS last year. February 14, 2022, would become a day that Steve and his family will never forget; this was the day Steve received the diagnosis that would change his life forever, and the fight for his survival began.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is an unforgiving disease that causes motor neurons inside the spinal cord to die. Following this, the muscles degenerate, and you become a prisoner inside your body, progressively losing the ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe. The cause of this debilitating disease is still unknown and without a cure.
Steve’s family, friends, and co-workers have had to accept the diagnosis. But if you know Steve, you know he refuses to go down without a fight. Steve pursued a career as a police officer and is among the few people who get to do what they love each day, serving the citizens of Columbus as he conveys his drive and dedication as an officer. It is hard for some to understand, but Steve truly enjoys serving and helping the citizens in his community. Whether it is making a difference for a citizen or helping one of the many officers he considers family, Steve helped with a smile. Over the course of Steve’s career, he has received five lifesaving awards. He received his most recent award for saving a man from a frozen pond. No one decides to become a police officer for recognition, and Steve is no exception.
Over this past year, we have learned how much of a financial burden ALS can be. Taking a shower, driving, or taking a stroll in the park... things we often take for granted become impossible without proper equipment, wheelchairs, and mobility vans.
Although this disease has taken Steve’s ability to continue serving his community and functioning as we all do daily, he remains positive. To continue doing what he loves to do, and help the citizens in his community, the goal is to have Running Against ALS as a yearly event to benefit other law enforcement officers or community members fighting ALS and to provide awareness. The inability to live life to its fullest should not be a financial burden. Your support, prayers, and donations are deeply appreciated.
Words from Race Director Officer Erica Gutierrez
I miss Steve every day, especially when I look over to the passenger seat and don’t see him replying to a text or answering a call. Yes, I was always the driver, it was safer that way. Steve was always busy, never asking questions, just doing what he could to help his co-workers or the community. I could always count on Steve to have my back even if we weren’t riding together.
I remember the first day I asked him for permission to put this race on to benefit him, and in his honor in the future. He smiled at me and said, "yes. If you’re putting it on, I will be there." I know Steve will be there, if not physically, in the hearts of those he has touched. My words to him when I visit before I leave, you will never be forgotten.
It is an honor to have Steve as my friend!
