Teams Forming for “Freed to Run 2.0” Point-to-Point Jax-to-Tallahassee Marathon

Teams are beginning to form for Freed to Run 2.0, the second annual point-to-point marathon from Jacksonville to Tallahassee started by Gunster attorney Mike Freed.

In this year’s event, teams will combine to run a distance of 157 miles from the Florida Supreme Court in Tallahassee to the Duval County Courthouse. Freed and the runner teams will begin on December 2 and end here in Jax on December 7. Each team will run a single marathon, with most runners running just a few miles each.

It will benefit the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP), a partnership aimed at producing better outcomes for children with medical conditions – particularly those who struggle to afford treatment and legal aid.

Last year’s event raised $70,000 for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA), with Freed running six marathons in six days making his way from Tallahassee to Jax – with stops at courthouses in counties along the way.

His efforts caught the attention of Baptist Health, which pledged to match all funds raised this year at 125 percent.

As a result of the partnership with Baptist, JALA expects to create a five-year, $2.25 million endowment for the NFMLP, with this year’s run expected to generate more than $400,000 for the fund.

JALA provides free civil legal aid to pediatric patients and their families through partnerships with several local hospitals and care centers.

As of a few weeks ago, teams participating in Freed to Run 2.0 included several law firms (Akerman; Abel Bean Law; Tousey, Leas & Ball; Jimerson & Cobb, P.A.; Marks Gray; Shutts & Bowen), JALA’s board of directors, JALA staff, Community First Credit Union, Women’s Giving Alliance, and F3 Jacksonville.

To learn more about Freed to Run or to register or sponsor the run, visit https://jaxlegalaid.org/freedtorunsupport.