Written by Laura Miller
After 15 years of honoring the Harding Academy and Harding University alumna’s life through running, the Micah Rine Wildcat Legacy 5K brought the Harding and Searcy communities together one final time on Nov. 7 at Harding University, celebrating the faith and legacy of Micah Rine, a woman whose influence reaches generations beyond her own.
The annual race, which offered both a 5K and one-mile run, marked the final year of the Micah Rine race tradition. Proceeds support the Micah Rine Wellness Room and scholarship fund, programs at Harding Academy and the Micah Rine endowed Zeta Rho scholarship at Harding University.
The race began in 2011, following Micah’s death in 2009, as part of a three-race series organized by Harding Academy robotics coach Brian Jones. Micah’s father, Dennis Rine, helped establish the 5K as a way to honor his daughter through her favorite activity, while raising money for the female athletes’ workout room at Harding Academy.
Micah was a runner who shared that passion with her father. During her freshman year of college, she asked him if they could run a marathon together, creating a tradition that became part of their relationship.
“Micah was a runner, and frequently, we ran together,” Rine said.
This year’s event drew an especially strong response, with more than 300 people participating, surpassing the organizer’s initial goal of 200.
The decision to make 2026 the final lap came as several meaningful milestones aligned. The race marked 
its 15th anniversary, while Micah’s high school classmates were preparing for their 25th Harding Academy reunion. All of these events were being celebrated during Harding Academy’s and Harding University’s homecoming weekend as well.
For the Rine family, this felt like the right time to bring the tradition to a close. Although the final race carries some sadness, Rine said the overwhelming support from participants and sponsors made the experience especially meaningful.
“It’s very humbling and thrilling,” Rine said. “There’s a touch of sadness that this is the end. I’m sure we’ll feel more of that next year than this year.”
For those that knew Micah during her time at Harding, her legacy extends far beyond the race itself.
Russell Keck, who became friends with Micah during his junior year at Harding University, remembered her as someone whose strength and joyful perspective made an impression on everyone around her. Within their shared social circles, he said that Micah was known for making people feel valued and heard.
“She was a wonderful listener and wholly present in conversations, like you were the most important person in the world to her in that moment,” Keck said. “And, you probably were.”
He recalled how friends commonly turned to Micah for advice and encouragement, describing her as someone who could brighten a person’s day through even a brief interaction.
“Though it might sound cliche, Micah could truly brighten your day, even with one short interaction,” Keck said. “That kind of light in a person is rare.”
The impact continues to reach Harding students who never had the opportunity to know Micah personally.
Ensley Montgomery, a recent graduate and former Zeta Rho member, first heard Micah’s story during her freshman year when the Rine family spoke to new members during club week. The story stayed with her, and when she was invited to participate in this year’s race, she agreed without hesitation.
Montgomery described the atmosphere of the race as one of fellowship, with participants cheering for runners long after they crossed the finish line.
“Once people finished the race, they would stand in line to cheer on the rest of the participants,” Montgomery said. “It felt like everyone out there was one big family.”
As the final race brings a 15-year tradition to a close, Rine hopes participants carry something more lasting with them than memories of the event.
He said that the family has always viewed themselves as Micah’s voice, continuing to share her story and the faith she demonstrated throughout her life.
“We want to continue to tell the story and the legacy that she left,” Rine said. “And it’s a legacy of remaining faithful and Godly in difficult situations.”
As runners crossed the finish line for the final time, the Rine family hoped they would remember not simply the end of the race, but the example Micah left behind.
Rine said that his hope is that people will be encouraged to continue their own journeys of faith and to finish strong like Micah did.
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