Park Ridge 5K - March 20th

In 2002, I ran my first organized race. It was the Park Ridge 5K. I received a trophy. Since then, I have gone on to run several ½ and full marathons, but there’s still something special about that 5K. (In the interest of full disclosure, the trophy was for 2nd place in my age division and I think there might have only been 3 people in my age division…thankfully I can’t find the results online.)
The 2010 Park Ridge 5K is coming up in a few short weeks on March 20th at 8 a.m. The reason for my email about the race is two-fold:

Would you consider registering for this race and supporting the school that is in Horizon’s backyard? The registration is $20 and includes a t-shirt if you register by this Monday, March 1st. (http://www.racetimingunlimited.com/) After that the cost goes up and you don’t get a shirt. I know that many of you are used to running much longer distances, so why bother with a 5K? Others of you are intimidated by the thought of running a 5K. There is great value to both groups to running this distance. For the long distance runners, it’s a great time to work on speed – think about the burst needed at the end of a marathon. For those new to running, this is a great distance that gives you a very achievable goal and will build your confidence…refer back to my trophy :). (There is also a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk that is great for kids who aren’t ready for the 5K distance.) But even if you don’t care much about the running part, please consider the following…

Horizons Church will once again be a sponsor of the event. I think this is a great way for the church to reach out to support our local community. We will also be able to promote that there is a group of people at the church who love to run and for those looking for a running group – we’re right in their backyard. Would you consider donating to the church’s sponsorship? If we each donated $25, for example, it would cover a sponsorship that will allow us to have a banner at the start/finish line, a link on the website and materials in the runner’s packet. If you are interested in donating, simply mark the $ amount and “5K” on your check or online gift. Let me know if you have any questions about this part. Also, if you or someone you know would love to run the race but would not be able to afford the registration fee, please let me know.

So, tell your friends, family, co-workers, etc. about this run and come out and join us. It’s a great time of fun, competition, and it’s good for the community. I’m hoping to win another trophy, but chances are I won’t see another one for quite some time. Please contact me should you have any questions.