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Half Marathon Runners Go 13 Miles To Cure ALS

By Libby Smith

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo (CBS4) – At the Transamerica Rock 'n' Roll Denver Half Marathon, about 14,000 runners will pound the pavement for 13.1 miles. Every one of them has a story about why they run. One Denver team will be out there to find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

"Our goal at Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club is to get people moving. This disease takes away someone's ability to move, so it goes against everything we stand for," said Paula Neubert, President and General Manager of the club.

Team ALS 1
(credit CBS)

About 33 employees and club members have joined GreenwoodTeamQuest4ALS. The money they raise goes to a national movement to find a cure for the neurodegenerative disease, called Augie's Quest.

"It's an incurable disease, and we just need more money to find that cure," Neubert added.

LINK: Donate to GreenwoodTeamQuest4ALS

"I cannot imagine someone telling me that I will no longer have the ability to run, so it's something that really touched me," said Sheri Warren, Director of Sales and Retention at the club and a runner with GreenwoodTeamQuest4ALS.

Warren has a personal connection to the cause. Her aunt, Elaine, lost her battle with the disease.

"It was amazing to me how quickly the change happened, and it was incredibly sad," Warren explained.

Team ALS 2
(credit CBS)

The heartbreaking stories of those diagnosed with this tragic disease is what keeps this team motivated.

"And you go, 'I can go one step further. I can actually do that, so why not keep going? Why not push harder? Why not challenge myself to even remotely come close to the things that they are challenged with every single day?'" Neubert told CBS4.

By the time they reach the finish line, GreenwoodTeamQuest4ALS hopes to have raised $100,000 to find that cure.

Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.

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