Beginning November 16, Freed to Run 4.0 will kick off its fourth year of six marathons in six days benefitting Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA). Founded in 2017 by Gunster business litigation shareholder Mike Freed, Freed to Run is a partnership with a mission of providing legal aid for underprivileged communities in northeastern Florida. Freed to Run raises money and awareness to support pediatric patients and their families in navigating legal obstacles that often impede their health outcomes.
This point-to-point relay covers the distance from Tallahassee to Jacksonville, courthouse to courthouse, with teams taking turns throughout the day. While each team member is running their section of the course, their teammates will shuttle ahead to the next relay checkpoint and await their approaching team member. Each day at 7:30 a.m., relay teams will begin at a North Florida courthouse.
This year, the final leg will be on Saturday, November 21 and the route will conclude with a 14-mile home stretch on the Baldwin Trial. Due to the pandemic, teams can run a virtual marathon making the handoff at the end of each leg via Zoom.
To register for Freed to Run, click here.
Freed to Run 2020 Multi-day Marathon Schedule:
- Monday, November 16 – Florida Supreme Courthouse, Tallahassee
- Tuesday, November 17 – Jefferson County Courthouse, Monticello
- Wednesday, November 18 – Madison County Courthouse, Madison
- Thursday, November 19 – Suwanee County Courthouse, Live Oak
- Friday, November 20 – Columbia County Courthouse, Lake City
- Saturday, November 21 – Baker County Courthouse, Macclenny
- Saturday, November 21 – Finish at Duval County Courthouse, Jacksonville
Proceeds raised through Freed to Run enable JALA to fund a full-time attorney for civil legal issues and offer comprehensive support so that no one has to run alone in this fight. Mike Freed’s fundraising efforts, combined with the financial backing from Baptist Health Foundation, enables JALA to provide an endowment totaling $2.25 million for low-income medical patients.
Mike Freed is a shareholder in the Jacksonville office and practices business litigation with the firm. Freed holds a vast experience in the courtroom and arbitrations, administrative proceedings and other forms of dispute resolution. He is board certified in business litigation with a practice spanning a wide range of disciplines and industries, including corporate governance, education, health care, hospitality, labor and employment, construction, logistics, transportation and receiverships. Freed serves as counsel for a variety of companies, with regular involvement in personnel matters, labor relations, contract negotiations, insurance, risk analysis and strategic planning.