August of 2000 marked a new chapter of life for Bloomington native Jill Behrman as she was starting her freshman year of college at IU. But her life ended abruptly eight months later.
On May 31, 2000, Jill set out on a lone bike ride around the Bloomington bike trails; trails her mom, Marilyn Behrman, said Jill knew well. Biking was second nature to Jill as it was one of her favorite ways to exercise and stay in shape. She had gone on many bike rides before, including a trip from Bloomington to Atlantic City that she completed in high school.
However, from this ride, she never came back.
Jill went missing for 3 years before her remains were found by a hunter in March of 2003. Jill had been kidnaped while on her ride and was shot and killed by an Ellettsville man named John Myers II.
Before Jill was found and her family was given answers about her disappearance, her family along with her co-workers at the Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC) wanted to create something to keep Jill’s memory alive.
Marilyn Behrman talks about the childhood her daughter Jill had before her time as a student at IU began.
That’s when the Jill Behrman Run for the Endzone race was created in October of 2000.
Eventually the race was renamed the Jill Behrman 5K Color the Campus run and a slew of fun elements were implemented into the event. Hip-Hop-warmup dances, color zones where runners and walkers get colored powder dumped on them during the run, food and loud music were added, making the race a celebration of life for Jill.
Now, one of the most popular student activities on campus, over 800 people participated in the race this year on April 2. The race raises money for the Jill B. Emerging Leader Scholarship which awards two undergraduate students with $1,000 each for displaying leadership, civic duty and responsibility in their community and on campus. Students must also be of at least sophomore standing and involved in campus recreational sports.
Remaining money is used to fund personal safety workshops and recreational sports events for students at IU.
While dark times came over Bloomington and IU 22 years ago, celebration, fun and, of course color, bring Jill’s family members, the community, IU faculty and students together to celebrate the life and memory of Jill Behrman.
