Run draws more than 1,700

The back of the Run for the Endzone yellow and white T-shirts was a tribute. It read, "I ran for Jill."\nSince 1996, the Division of Recreational Sports has sponsored the Run for the Endzone, a five kilometer run and walk. This years run, based in the Mellencamp Pavilion became an event to contribute to the reward fund for Jill Behrman, an IU student and Bloomington resident who disappeared in May, and raise awareness about safety issues.\n"There was a group in the community that wanted to do it for Jill," said Chris Geary, director of recreational sports. She said at the same time, recreational sports was interested in honoring Behrman because she had been an employee at the SRSC.\nMore than volunteers helped bring the run together. Geary said there was outpouring of help from the university, the students, several sororities and the community.\nThe original estimate of runners and walkers was 1,700 people, but Geary said more showed up.\nGraduate Student Will Hafner, who placed fifth in the 5k, said he did not personally know Behrman and signed up only as a participant, but that a run was a great tribute to someone who was an athlete.\n"She'd appreciate this since she was an athlete herself," he said.\nHafner was surrounded by other runners, many of whom were close to Behrman. \nBloomington resident Ann Edmonds was one of those participants. Her daughter had been friends with Behrman.\n"If you think about it, it could have been anyone's daughter," she said. She wore a yellow ribbon to display her support of Behrman.\n"(The run) raises a level of awareness for others to be more careful. I hope it helps the Behrman's in some way to bring community support," she said.\nBehrman's parents said they felt just that. \n"It's just amazing the support that we feel -- not just from friends and family, " said Marylin Behrman, Jill's mother. "This took a huge effort on so many people's parts.\nGeary said the walk also helped bring more publicity to the situation. \n"We need to keep her name in the front so people remember we still have an IU student and a member of the community missing," she said.