How it all started…
I ran my first Half Marathon in 2010 at Walt Disney World in Florida. I kid you not….it was in January and it was snowing while we stood freezing in our running corral there in the heart of Central Florida. If you have ever ran a big race like a runDisney event, you know you have to arrive really early…like 3am early. The race starts at 5am, and they have a strict time limit. You must maintain a 16 minute mile pace or get on the bus. Snow, cold, stress of maintaining the pace, a running partner that quit on me (that’s a whole other story), first time running that far…and I had a great time! Who wouldn’t have fun at a race with Mickey Mouse in a jogging suit cheering you on at the start and finish line?! Of course since it was Disney, the race swag included a really nice technical running shirt and a big ol’ Donald Duck finisher’s medal.
I enjoyed it so much, I came back and did it again in 2011. This time I ran with my oldest daughter, and I think I was the one slowing her down. Totally different experience! We found out later that Al Roker had ran the same Half Marathon that we did, but he was way up front in a better corral. However, we beat his finish time! Take that and your celebrity status! It was still cold in January as we arrived at the Epcot parking lot at 3am. But at least it wasn’t snowing this time. We had family cheerleaders that followed us on the route. My daughter’s aunt and cousin were there near the half way point and at the finish line. Thanks, Nasly and Eli, that was awesome! Again, we got a great shirt, but I was disappointed that we got the same Donald Duck medal with a 2011 attached to the bottom of it.
I ran the Soldier Half Marathon at Fort Benning, Georgia (now known as Fort Moore) in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The start and finish was at the amazing National Infantry Museum. The highlight of the race for me was the very steep hill that had Drill Sergeants yelling at us…for encouragement. My favorite quote was actually straight out of the reg for the Army PT test, ” Although walking is authorized, it is strongly discouraged.” This hill was so steep, most everyone was walking up it. We all got a good laugh since most of the runners were Soldiers and Veterans. The race swag was cool! The t-shirt was a soft cotton blend and the race medal each year featured the infamous “dog tags.” The first and second year I ran it, it was actually shaped like dog tags. The third year it was a big circle with a picture of dog tags on the medal.
My last Half Marathon was in 2017, on base at Yongsan in Korea. We ran two laps around South Post inside the fence. There was a big hill or two (maybe three) on this one. The funniest part of the race was the water cups, or the lack of water cups. The first lap there weren’t any, and if you were really in need of a drink, you drank from the spout on the water jug. Yep, old school like we use to do with the garden hose. By lap two there was a form of a cup to get water, but since the race was sponsored by the hospital, they were using specimen cups at the water stations. Quite an experience! I ran with a good friend, not knowing this was his first Half Marathon. It was a PR for me, and a proud first finish for him. Thanks for the pace push, Byron. BUT…there were no finisher’s medals. I felt bad for my running partner that he ran his first Half Marathon with nothing to show for it but a cool photo with me and a cheap Korean made t-shirt.
I’ve ran 5Ks and 10Ks. Sometimes you get a shirt and medal. Sometimes at the smaller ones, you are just happy that they have cold water at the finish line. The nice thing about the smaller races is there is a pretty good chance you will place in your age bracket. Then you get to go home with whatever prize they are giving. Sometimes it was a medal. One time it was a jar of candy. The Ugly Sweater 5K had cookies and hot chocolate at the finish area. That was motivating! But nothing is more motivating than crossing the finish line and have a medal placed around your neck.
Jump forward a decade, plus or minus a few years…
This year, I retired from the Army, and I started helping out another retired Army Veteran with his business, Just TRI Athletic Events, LLC. Marc Chung started the company in 2017, and as the Race Director, he has hosted races ranging from 5Ks to Half Marathons, plus there’s always the Kids 1 Mile Fun Run. There’s also been several Triathlon events since the company started. COVID hit us all hard, and Just TRI was not immune (pun intended) to the pandemic. Marc was deployed for three years, and after the Mother’s Day Run in 2020, face-to-face races came to a screeching halt.
Here we are in 2023! Just TRI is back and re-building. And I’m gonna add since I’m helping out now…even better. This year will feature two races on July 2nd and September 2nd. The first is a 5K and 10K with a Kids 1 Mile Fun Run at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington. Since its Independence Day Weekend, the race is a Yankee Doodle theme. The swag was designed around the theme of the Yankee Doodle red, white, and blue hat. Based on my experience and first hand knowledge of the finisher’s medal…everyone will want one of these. All that sign up to run or walk get a Yankee Doodle hat and a finisher’s medal after they run under the finish line arch on July 2nd. Plus, there’s the cool t-shirt.
Then we have the big race in September. The Labor of Love during Labor Day Weekend. This second run will not only have a 5K and a 10K and a Kids 1 Mile Fun Run, this is your chance to run a Half Marathon. Whether this is your first or your tenth run, everyone will be celebrated at the finish area with a finisher’s medal and t-shirt. Sorry, Byron. Maybe you should join us out in Washington in September. You’ll get that medal and a much better t-shirt.
The magic behind the curtain…
Most races have a small staff and depend heavily on volunteers and sponsors. After working this from the other side, I won’t complain about the gradual price increases and the strict packet pick-up times. You know why they raise the price? They need to order those medals and t-shirts. And that gets really expensive when its a late, rush order. Sign up early and get the better price, plus help out your local Race Director as they try to plan the big events. Packet pick-up times are limited because those same volunteers that are sitting there handing out the cool swag probably need to get back to finish sorting medals and packing the trailer for race day. It’s all about perspective.
Let’s talk about volunteers. Did you ever think about how many people it takes to put on an event like a 5K? Lots! Most of those folks handing you water and guiding you along the course are volunteers. If you ever get the chance to volunteer, try it at least once. It’s a rewarding experience to watch athletes with a diverse background, from the elite “super fast” runners to the really slow “just happy to finish” runners. They all deserve to feel accomplished when it’s over, and it takes volunteers to fill all the jobs from start to finish.
Stepping off my soap box now. As you can see from my Half Marathon dates, its been a while since I ran that far. I did do the Cooper River Bridge Run this past April with one of my younger daughters. It’s a 10K that starts in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. You have to “get over” the Cooper River Bridge to head into downtown Charleston for the finish. A little warmer than usual this year, so that added to the challenge. Very well organized with nearly 30,000 runners and about 4,000 volunteers. We got over it. Great t-shirt and amazing finisher’s medal!
****As a side note, this year Just TRI is welcoming dogs (on a leash) and strollers to join both of the 5Ks. See…I told you its getting better!