Shortly after Birk passed away, his UGA Office of Sustainability community organized and held the first Turtle Trot 5K 🐢. Birk had started running in Costa Rica during his study abroad when he could not cycle and in the months prior to his passing he ran his first half-marathon in Athens and full marathon in Atlanta. The “5K” was a 3.13 mile run (which is a little bit longer than a 5K) to honor Birk’s life and legacy and organized in conjunction with the Southeastern Student Sustainability Conference. Birk’s life unexpectedly came to an end on March 4th, 2024, just ten days before his 21st birthday (03/13) and two months shy of graduating from the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology with a Sustainability Certificate. The 3.13 mile race commemorated his birthday and thanks to a partnership between the UGA’s sustainability certificate and UGA’s Office of Sustainability, the Birkley Heynen Environmental Foundation is excited to help the Turtle Trot 5K 🐢 will become an annual event. We will hold the next Turtle Trot 5K 🐢 on March 29th, 2025. In an effort to bring communities together, something Birkley was known for doing, this race will be held on the Saturday prior to Shell to Shore’s Shellfest 4. Stay tuned for more information.
Shortly after Birk passed away, his UGA Office of Sustainability community organized and held the first Turtle Trot 5K 🐢. Birk had started running in Costa Rica during his study abroad when he could not cycle and in the months prior to his passing he ran his first half-marathon in Athens and full marathon in Atlanta.
The “5K” was a 3.13 mile run (which is a little bit longer than a 5K) to honor Birk’s life and legacy and organized in conjunction with the Southeastern Student Sustainability Conference. Birk’s life unexpectedly came to an end on March 4th, 2024, just ten days before his 21st birthday (03/13) and two months shy of graduating from the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology with a Sustainability Certificate. The 3.13 mile race commemorated his birthday and thanks to a partnership between the UGA’s sustainability certificate and UGA’s Office of Sustainability, the Birkley Heynen Environmental Foundation is excited to help the Turtle Trot 5K 🐢 become an annual event.
We will hold the next Turtle Trot 5K 🐢 on March 29th, 2025. In an effort to bring communities together, something Birkley was known for doing, this race will be held on the Saturday prior to Shell to Shore’s Shellfest 4. Stay tuned for more information.
