Former Texan Wade Smith joins Team abc13 in marathon relay

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Wade Smith recruited to Team ABC for Chevron Houston Marathon's Mascot vs. Media Relay

Wade Smith will join abc13 traffic anchor Katherine Whaley and colleagues on Team ABC.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Chevron Houston Marathon is this Sunday, and if you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of some of Houston's favorite mascots on the course.

Clutch, Orbit, and Diesel are running in the first-ever Mascot vs. Media Relay to promote the various charities the Marathon supports.

The competition will pit four teams against each other in a relay-style race. Four-member teams will follow the marathon course, with each completing a 6.55 mile leg. The losing team will gets a cake in the face on Discovery Green following the race.

Traffic Anchor Katherine Whaley is leading abc13 in raising awareness for the Houston Marathon Foundation, and she recruited colleagues Jason Jobes and Justin Sternberg, both veteran runners. Justin even helps guide triathletes with disabilities in other races. Katherine also recruited former Texans Offensive Linebacker Wade Smith to run a leg of the relay.

"When you asked me to come join the team, I was nervous at first, but I was like you know what, this is an opportunity to help someone else and also accomplish a goal, and so that's why I am doing it," Smith told abc13's Katherine Whaley.

Smith has been an advocate of charitable giving, and even has his own non-profit, The Wade Smith Foundation, which supports education and childhood literacy.

Each of the four relay teams will be running to raise awareness and promote the 61 official Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason charities. Since its inception in 1995, more than $23 million has been raised to benefit various charities.