There are many reasons more than 21,000 participants are competing in Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon.
For Andy Aubin of Hatboro, it will be another step in a personal victory over the scale. For Malinda Ann Hill of Wynnewood, it's a way to raise money for a worthy cause.
This is the 35th annual 13.1-mile race.
The race will start and finish in Eakins Oval near the Art Museum, running through Center City past Independence Hall and along the Schuylkill. Start time is 8 a.m.
The event was formerly known as the Philadelphia Distance Run before officially becoming part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series in 2010. Nineteen local charities will benefit, organizers say.
Aubin's victory comes from a healthier lifestyle, and this race will be an affirmation of his hard work over the last year.
When he weighed 330 pounds, the 6-foot-3 Aubin decided that his weight had gotten out of hand. So he decided to combine two things that were missing in his life - a better diet and exercise.
He decided around Thanksgiving to count calories and miles, and both have contributed greatly to his physical renaissance. Now weighing 208 pounds, he will proudly compete in his first half-marathon.
"It seemed like something that had been impossible at the time," Aubin said. "I am just so excited to be taking part in this."
The 35-year-old insurance broker said he couldn't have taken this new lease on life had it not been for the support of his wife, Jenn. And it was his now-16-month-old daughter, Tessa, who was the inspiration for his physical about-face.
"When you have a daughter it was no longer acceptable the way I was, because I didn't want her to be held back because I was too lazy," he said.
He now blogs about his weight-loss adventure on www.bigandysrunning.wordpress.com.
For the 41-year-old Hill, competing in this race is one great tweet. She runs marathons and half-marathons and also tweets during the race. So one can check the progress during the race - @twinsrun.
The bereavement coordinator of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Hill is accepting donations on behalf of Alex's Lemonade Stand, the foundation that raises money and awareness for childhood cancer.
She and her twin sister, Leah Connor, often run together, but in this event she will be going solo. The twins raise money for charity and also run in memory of Leah's brother-in-law, Michael Connor, who died of leukemia in 2003, and their grandmother Aileen Hill, who died in July of cancer. They will be participating in next month's Chicago marathon. In addition to the tweets, Hill also blogs about her exploits at www.twinsruninourfamily.com.
So along with her running gear, Hill will have her iPhone. And of course she will be accepting donations.
As for the race, Matthew Kisorio of Kenya is the defending men's champion, finishing in 58 minutes, 46 seconds last year. Kim Smith of New Zealand had the winning women's time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 9 seconds. Both runners set records for the fastest half-marathon run on U.S. soil.
Contact Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225 or mnarducci@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @sjnard.
