Remembering Munfordville Day Celebrates Stan Cottrell

(Newswire.net — June 19, 2015) Tucker, Georgia —Hart County, Kentucky’s famous native son, Stan Cottrell, is a focal point of the 2015 annual “Remembering Munfordville Day” celebration Saturday, June 20, in Munfordville, KY. In conjunction with the City of Munfordville, Hart County and Munfordville Tourism, this event’s highlight will be the unveiling of a Historical Marker for Stan Cottrell commemorating his vast professsional and running achievements.

The Historical Marker appropriately honors the great, great grandson of the first deed holder in Hart County, and Cottrell’s 90-year-old mother still lives there near the family farm.  Cottrell was born on the farm in 1943, and as a youngster, used his running talent to chase down missing cows for neighboring farmers.  His running career was off to a start when he won the 100 yard dash at the 1959 Hart County Fair, and his local feats are legend.

It was also from this rural Kentucky area that Stan Cottrell set out for Western Kentucky University’s track team. In 1966 he co-founded the Kentucky Marathon with Jack Mahurin after being the first Southerner to complete the Boston Marathon. Their cross-Kentucky run launched Cottrell’s thirst for adventure runs, leading him to become the world’s foremost ultra-distance runner.

The Marker celebrates Cottrell’s remarkable achievements from that time on. Pioneer of the international “Friendship Run,” 72-year-old Cottrell has run in 60 countries spreading people-to-people diplomacy, cross-cultural understanding and friendship.  His recorded career runs total over 250,000 miles, the equivalent of 10 times around the earth.

This Kentucky native has bridged governments and touched hearts from the White House and palaces of the world to distant highways, byways and rice patties, from the well-known to the unknown, with his friendship runs. Cottrell’s 1980 trans-USA Guinness Record (3,103.5 miles in 48 days) and 2,125 mile China Run in 1984 are just two of his famous ultra-runs that have earned him Presidential and Congressional Citations and numerous other recognitions, such as the HAFL award (Healthy American Fitness Leaders, the “Oscar of Fitness”)

The Day’s Events

The official unveiling of the Historical Marker will be at 1 p.m. on June 20, 2015 at the old high school in Munfordville. The well-deserved Historical Marker will remind future generations of youth that a barefoot farm boy has the potential to shake nations and help millions of people the world over.

A reception will be held at City Hall after the Marker’s unveiling so the people can meet Stan informally and visit with each other.  Visitors will be treated to cake and Mamie Faulkner pies.  Everyone is invited.

The Marker events honoring Stan Cottrell follow the day’s earlier events, starting with coffee, orange juice, donuts and ham biscuits at the Presbyterian Fellowship House at 9 a.m. and story-telling at 10 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church with Stanley and Margie Goodman. That will be followed by School Superintendents Cornelius Faulkner and Ricky Line (former high school coach), influential leaders in Hart County today. Munfordville Tourism is even sponsoring an antique car show to enhance the nostalgia of a bygone era and spur a flood of more memories.

Photos and Videos

The public is requested to please share any photos and videos of the Remembering Munfordville Day celebrations and Munfordville Tourism’s antique automobile show. Share them with Stan Cottrell’s social media team, news releases and more to keep spreading the word to help the children of economically-challenged Hart County and Friendship Sports’ Orphans Fund.  Send them to: margaret@stancottrell.com

About Stan Cottrell: 

Visit FriendshipSports.org (Cottrell’s nonprofit corporation) and http://RealStanCottrell.Wordpress.com. On Facebook, connect with “Cottrell Stan” personally or with The Great Global Friendship Run page at http://www.Facebook.com/TGGFR.