Runner's high.

• Position: Finalentry - Interview

Once Stephen Tierney started running, he never looked hack. But the CPA wasn't running from something, instead the partner at Nienow & Tierney. LLP took his new hobby and turned it into a nonprofit organization to assist homeless individuals and at-risk youth improve their lives by training for, and completing, a half-maration. So, we strapped on our running shoes and caught up to Tierney to learn more about the CPA behind the nonprofit.

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When and why did you decide to start Up and Running Again?

It was September 2009. I just completed my first marathon a Year earlier. I never ran ill high school or college and certainly wasn't running since I started working in the CPA practice. However, I attended a goal-setting seminar and decided that I should try run a marathon. It was a goal that was much bigger than I thought I could do. After nine months of training I completed the 2008 Long Beach marathon and really thought I could do anything.

When I read an article in 2009 about someone using running to help people. I know running changed my life and I wanted to use that to help other. I wanted to use running not just as a hobby, but as a ministry.

I contacted the Orange County Rescue Mission to see if they would be interested in haying our firm help their residents with past due tax filings. The president indicated they had that covered, so I sheepishly asked if he would consider starting a running program at the mission. He was excited about starting a running program, so I quickly scrambled to try and put a program together. I met with him in September 2009 and by Nov. 1. we started training 20 individuals for the Surf City half marathon.

What were the biggest challenges you initially faced?

Figuring out how to train these new runners. I was not an expert runner--I was an accountant! I used the training program that I used and winged it from there. We have continued to add pieces.

Another challenge was finding volunteers willing to train with our runners four days a week. I realize we are asking a lot of them, but once they start running with our groups, it changes them as much as it helps our runners. It's the best thing I have been a part of.

The final, major challenge was, and is, funding. We rely on people who are willing to donate. Our program pays for a new pair of running shoes for each runner after they complete six weeks of basic training. We also pay for their entry fees into a local race. It cost us around S200...