195. Fun Runs

 

I have been a runner since childhood. I started running track as soon as I was able and instead of playing football in the fall I ran long distance even when there was no cross country at my school (which there still isn’t as far as I know). I love the culture of running and I immersed myself into it early on in life. It seems strange to me that I am just now writing about the fun run that has become a staple of American life, but that is something I am really thankful for.

Just this past Saturday I ran the Potlatch Days Fun Run, a run that is just slightly over a 5K. It’s not a run that offers any sort of swag, it’s just a contribution entry fee that goes toward scholarships for graduating Seniors from Potlatch High School. There are all kinds of runs like that across the country, along with more flashy versions from Spokane’s Lilac Bloomsday and the Boston Marathon. These kinds of events get people out of their comfort zone to celebrate community and fitness.

I think the very existence of fun runs, marathons, triathlons and all of those many events not only celebrate their communities, they also celebrate the individuals and encourage people to get fit or continue their fitness journey. They inspire people to set goals for themselves and they give cause to get out of their comfort zones all while having a good time.  I doubt that I would ever have traveled to St. George, Utah or Boston, Massachusetts if it weren’t for that most famous of marathons: Boston. I wanted a fast marathon to qualify for Boston and I found it in St. George, so I ended up traveling all the way to Boston where I not only ran the marathon, I got to see a beautiful city where so much of the American story began, including my own.

To me, those simple little fun runs in these simple little towns have a way of simply making people shine, making us great. I love the fun runs all across this country and I am so grateful for them.