3rd Annual Virtual Chicken Run a Success Amid the Pandemic

Run 4 Bitti and Brynn Foundation offers scholarships for high school track and cross country athletes

The Annual Brynn and Brittni Frace Memorial Running Chicken Fun Run Fundraiser was a success in its third year even though it was forced to operate virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual race has historically been held through the hills of Santa Margarita Lake, where the participants celebrate the spirit and love of running that Brynn and “Bitti” shared during their lives.

This year from Jan. 3 through the 31st, runners could share that same spirit from the location of their choosing.

Brynn and Brittni were more than running enthusiasts — they were life enthusiasts. The light they carried with them wherever they went continues to shine through the Chicken Run event that carries their namesake, and although the participants were not allowed to gather all together for a day full of miles and smiles, this year, the public still showed their support as 320 people registered for the annual event.

“We didn’t feel as though we lost out by going virtual in terms of participation this year. We were very fortunate,” Shari Frace explained. “We were able to carry on the race that we set out to do in the very beginning, and we felt it was personalized even though it was virtual this year.”

As in years past, participants who registered received a swag bag complete with a personalized t-shirt, racing bib and socks, all based on something Brittni or Brynn created.

“The shirt was made from a drawing our youngest daughter Brittni had done that was of a free-range chicken in training,” Frace said. “It ended up being a perfect design for the race this year because we are all a bunch of free-range chickens in training right now. It was a perfect design with the race this year being virtual because we were able to challenge people to go out there and choose their course.”

The run was created to keep the happy memories alive and give back to the community. The monies raised each year from the race go to the nonprofit Run 4 Bitti and Brynn Foundation, which funds scholarships for high school track and cross country athletes at Paso Robles and Atascadero High Schools. The foundation also focuses on community connectivity and providing athletic shoes for runners that need them.

This year the foundation has set up four scholarships in the North County, with two for both AHS and PRHS. The scholarships are worth $1000 each and limited to only student-athletes that have participated in cross country or track and field for at least two seasons.