10/14/2026
I get a bit nostalgic this time of year as it’s where I fell in love with running. With an 18 month old, Starting the Couch to 5k program, asking for a pair of running shoes for my birthday…signing up for my first 5k, the Gobble Jog! And now fast forward to 33 full marathons under my belt and serving my 7th year on our Gobble Jog / Must Ministries board. I’m thankful for where it all began and hope you’ll join me at the start line on Turkey Day!
If you’re new to running, we have a {free} 6 week Beginner to 5k Training Plan starting on Monday! It would be my true honor to join you in the place I so vividly remember and come alongside you to help you chase your goals! Send me a DM and I’ll send you your plan!
Original article from 2019: Kristin McLendon was looking for something to do in the fall of 2012.
She downloaded the Couch to 5K app and registered for Marietta-based MUST Ministries’ Gobble Jog and asked for new running shoes for her birthday. She completed the 5K race and loved it so much that she continued running.
A youth minister now on the staff of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in west Cobb, she recently finished the Chicago Marathon — her seventh distance race. She has also set a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states.
McLendon’s love of running started on Marietta Square with the Gobble Jog seven years ago and has now come full circle with her serving on the Gobble Jog’s planning committee. She joins a staff and volunteers at MUST that work to provide the event for more 10,000 participants.
The Gobble Jog is MUST’s largest fundraiser, bringing in over $500,000 to help people in poverty. The event is critical to helping provide food, housing and jobs to more than 33,000 people in the area.
Registration is still open at gobblejog.org. Teams are forming with a minimum of 10 runners. In 2018, runners came from 45 states and the event has become one of the largest Thanksgiving Day races in the country.
