Six months ago, in this space, we declared the second running of the United Health Care N.C. Marathon a huge success and heartily recommended the event that benefits Foster Friends of North Carolina continue to be held each year in High Point. Foster Friends of North Carolina is a nonprofit working to improve the lives of children experiencing foster care.

At that time, we also said “officials of the marathon and the city can get to work on producing an even bigger event next year with more activities and attractions downtown, and more food and snack vendors in particular. We’d also like to see the marathon headquartered in the city.”

The event was moved from Greensboro, where the initial marathon was run, to High Point last May after that city cited security and other costs totaling $65,000 while High Point offered to host the marathon at no charge.

It was announced in Friday’s edition of The High Point Enterprise that the 2010 (third annual) N.C. Marathon will take place March 20. As High Point City Manager Strib Boynton noted in that article, “The time of year doesn’t make any difference for us because it’s not about us. It’s about the runners raising money for the foster homes.”

It’s also a natural for High Point, a community that repeatedly comes through when an event or a program helps children.

Consider just a few examples:

• The recently completed, highly successful series of Ilderton Beach Music Blast concerts in Uptowne High Point with proceeds going to the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina.

• The stadium dedicated just a couple of weeks ago for the Miracle League of High Point, one of about 200 Miracle Leagues across the country that allows children with mental and physical disabilities to experience the joy of America’s pastime by removing the barriers that have traditionally kept them off the baseball field.

• A considerable sum of money raised in High Point, with Jordan Washburn leading the way, for Victory Junction Gang Camp, a special camp for special kids with health care needs that has served more than 10,000 children from 47 states and three countries since it opened in the Randleman area in 2004.

• The 22-member High Point Children’s Cabinet, in partnership with Family Service of the Piedmont, United Way of Greater High Point, Guilford County Department of Social Services dedicated to ensuring the best care be given to children in foster care by inspiring the community to get involved, encouraging foster and adoptive parents, fiscally supporting an agency which provides foster care services and championing the “One Church, One Child” program.

All that helps the UHC N.C. Marathon be a great fit for High Point and gives all of you runners out there early warning to get yourself fit to participate in the 2010 race. Remember, it’s about the kids.