Bid to Run with Joan!

It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to run with a former Olympic marathon gold medalist, Boston Marathon record-setter, and thirty-year phenom in the sport of distance running. Go to ebay.com and bid on a run and catered lunch with Joan Benoit Samuelson, the featured guest for the NC Marathon. The item name is "Run and lunch with Joan Benoit Samuelson for charity." Marathon organizers are taking the top 10 bids, beginning at the recession-bargain rate of $35. The winners will meet at noon on Friday, May 1, at the Piedmont Environmental Center, High Point, NC, for an easy jog and then a catered lunch.

All proceeds go to Foster Friends of NC, the nonprofit that is organizing the marathon, half-marathon, and 5k. Foster Friends works to improve the lives of Guilford County children in foster care by filling requests for such things as camp tuition, yearbooks, martial arts classes, and prom dresses.

Great mother's day gift for your favorite running mom. Great incentive gift for a friend, family member or an employee who's training for the marathon.