Registration is being accepted for the first annual Doc Acklin Race on Saturday, August 27, at 10:30 am, at Paris High School, 14040 E. 1200th Road, Paris. All proceeds will benefit the PCH/FMC Doc Acklin Memorial Scholarship.
The cost of the three mile race is $10 per person; or runners can register for the race and a race T-shirt for $20. T-shirt sizes must be specified on the registration form.
The deadline to register is Saturday, August 13. Runners will be accepted the day of the race as well. Race forms are available at registration areas at the Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center and at ParisCommunityHospital.com/DocAcklinRace.
An invitational for local cross country teams will precede the open race at the school’s Cross Country Team Race Course.
Both races are sponsored by PCH/FMC and Paris High School in memory of the late Dr. James Acklin, who passed away August 23, 2015. He retired in 1994 after 34 years of service as a family physician at Paris Community Hospital.
Dr. Acklin was a respected member of the Paris High School cross country team that captured an unprecedented four consecutive state championships from 1946-49. He went on to run cross country on scholarship at Eastern Illinois University. He later attended Millikin University before graduating from the University of Illinois School of Medicine in 1957.
While practicing medicine, Dr. Acklin continued to be a sports enthusiast following Paris High School sports as team physician.