- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 973,059
- Reaction score
- 57
May 25---- The Flags of Honor Memorial site was a fitting start for the Memorial Day/Law Day 5k race held Saturday, May 24. The event, hosted by the Kandiyohi County Area Family YMCA was part of the Glacial Lakes Championship Running Series.
Around 140 runners followed the race route from the Flags of Honor Memorial to
before crossing the bridge towards First Street before circling around and ending near the boat landing at Robbins Island.
"Originally they would come through the park and then run down the trail to Thompson Park and back. But we decided two years ago that it would be more scenic to go across the bridge. Quieter too without the traffic of the cars on the highway," said Jay Lawton, Glacial Lakes Running Series board member.
While the race is part of the Glacial Lakes Series, the event was open to all levels of competition. Some runners were trying to score points to raise their ranking in the series while others wanted to set new personal records or just spend time outside on a nice day.
"Our goal is just to get people out moving. In fact it is in our purpose statement, to encourage people just to get out. There are some people that come out that are competitive and a lot of times we'll get rivalries. We get guys in an age group that kind of have this friendly rivalry going," Lawton said.
The race started in 2004 as a way to recognize Memorial Day. The event once featured a pre-race presentation to acknowledge those who died in service of their country, but that presentation has been eliminated due to time constraints.
The Memorial Day/Law Day 5k and the Turkey Leg 5k are the only races hosted by the
, according to interim CEO Missy Fike. The YMCA hosts a variety of other events to help get the community engaged and holiday events help to gather the community together.
is a non-profit organization which gives runners a chance to score and compete in races across west central Minnesota. The series includes 12 races; runners who participate in at least five races are given scores based on their times. These scores are then used to determine the top 10 runners in multiple age- and gender-based catagories. The next Glacial Lakes race, Running to a Sweet Beet, will take place in Renville on June 7.
Continue reading...
Around 140 runners followed the race route from the Flags of Honor Memorial to
before crossing the bridge towards First Street before circling around and ending near the boat landing at Robbins Island.
"Originally they would come through the park and then run down the trail to Thompson Park and back. But we decided two years ago that it would be more scenic to go across the bridge. Quieter too without the traffic of the cars on the highway," said Jay Lawton, Glacial Lakes Running Series board member.
While the race is part of the Glacial Lakes Series, the event was open to all levels of competition. Some runners were trying to score points to raise their ranking in the series while others wanted to set new personal records or just spend time outside on a nice day.
"Our goal is just to get people out moving. In fact it is in our purpose statement, to encourage people just to get out. There are some people that come out that are competitive and a lot of times we'll get rivalries. We get guys in an age group that kind of have this friendly rivalry going," Lawton said.
The race started in 2004 as a way to recognize Memorial Day. The event once featured a pre-race presentation to acknowledge those who died in service of their country, but that presentation has been eliminated due to time constraints.
The Memorial Day/Law Day 5k and the Turkey Leg 5k are the only races hosted by the
, according to interim CEO Missy Fike. The YMCA hosts a variety of other events to help get the community engaged and holiday events help to gather the community together.
is a non-profit organization which gives runners a chance to score and compete in races across west central Minnesota. The series includes 12 races; runners who participate in at least five races are given scores based on their times. These scores are then used to determine the top 10 runners in multiple age- and gender-based catagories. The next Glacial Lakes race, Running to a Sweet Beet, will take place in Renville on June 7.
Continue reading...
