Melissa Phillips, an avid recreational runner, will have more than fun on her mind when she competes in the upcoming Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k.
Phillips, a 26-year-old Richmond resident, was announced Wednesday as the AT&T Dash for the Cash contestant in the March 31 race. She will be given a head start based upon her predicted time and her past performances in the 6.2-mile event. If Phillips is the first runner to cross the finish line, she will receive a $2,500 cash prize. If an elite athlete overtakes her — the field typically includes a cluster of national-class foreign competitors — that individual will win the Dash for the Cash bonus and the $2,500 winner's prize.
"At first I was shocked and very excited," said Phillips, who was selected at random from a pool of more than 28,000 early entrants. "Now that I've had time to think about it, I think I'm getting a little nervous, too."
Phillips, a Richmond Behavioral Health Authority case manager at George Mason Elementary School, said she learned of her selection when the Richmond Sports Backers, the event's organizers, contacted her Friday by telephone. She said her husband, Tim, was immediately skeptical.
"He said, 'Oh, man — this has to be some kind of credit card scam,' " Phillips said. "He said, 'You didn't give them your card number, did you?' I had to show him (the Dash for the Cash page) on the Sports Backers' website."
Phillips, a Virginia Beach native, moved to Richmond after graduating from James Madison University in 2008. She ran her first long-distance road race, the Rock & Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon, while attending JMU. She has since run four other half marathons, three Ukrop's Monument Avenue races and one Richmond Marathon.
"I'll definitely train a little harder and a little more seriously for this one," she said.
The Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k added the Dash for the Cash to its race-day menu in 2005. Contestants have won five of the seven Dashes.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement