From STAFF REPORTS

AMERICUS – Sumter County native, Charlene Pennymon, is currently gearing up for her fourth consecutive appearance in one of the world’s most popular races, the Boston Marathon, scheduled to be held on April 18.
As a avid runner and assistant cross country coach at Southland Academy, Pennymon has been training diligently for the big day, most recently, completing her longest training run of 21 miles before beginning the tapering process in anticipation of the 26.2 mile elite challenge. Pennymon’s practice journey took her all the way from Stripling’s at Lake Blackshear all the way to Americus.
Pennymon has recently received her official runner’s passport and credentials that all participants must carry in order to pick up their race bibs in Boston.
In a recent press release, Pennymon stated, “I am a consistent runner on a daily basis which allows me to easily train for the marathon, because I am able  add or subtract  mileage from my normal runs.
“There will be over 30,000 runners this year and I am super excited to be amongst them,” she continued. “Boston is an amazing city filled with history. I am so appreciative of all my friends and supporters that are always behind me as I begin my journey there once more to compete in the world’s most famous marathon.”
Last year, Pennymon completed the marathon in 15,941st place out of over 26,000 participants with a time of  3:48:37. She finished in 313th place out of over 1,200 female runners in the 50-54 age group.
Pennymon is currently soliciting donations to help cover the expenses of the trip. Individuals interested in donating are encouraged to contact her at cpennymon31@gmail.com.