GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College cross country program has been named the 2012 recipient of the 2012 Tennessee Stay Well Award, which is presented by the American Cancer Society.

The Tusculum program, under the direction of head coach Suzanne Byrd, received the award for its implementation of their "Couch to 4 Mile" training program, held in conjunction with The Hope 4 Run.

Last year, 125 people participated in the inaugural "Couch to 4 Mile" program, which has been seen as a catalyst for supporting an active running culture in the region, while providing personal support to keep individuals motivated to keep running.

"We are honored to receive this award. Our main goal as a team, and as part of the Greeneville/Greene County community, is to do more for this area," said Byrd. "We love to run and we want to share that with our community. We have a lot of knowledge about health and wellness, and love to help others achieve healthier lifestyles. Coaching local walkers/joggers/runners to achieve health and fitness goals is a lot of fun and to see people lose weight, reach certain mileage goals, and finish TheHope4 race just puts icing on the cake."

This year's Couch to 4 Mile training program is scheduled to being March 18 with help from the Tusculum cross country program. TheHope4 Run will be held this year on May 27th.

"We are looking forward to the new session of Couch to 4 Mile training sessions. We want to set attendance records and get more people than ever into walking or running, and learning about being healthy."

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference.

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