Carter County 5K

I ran my hometown Relay for Life 5K this past Saturday in Grayson, a small community in Northeastern Kentucky. It was a good race and fun time, and I would like for more local families to enjoy it as much as my husband and I did.

When we approached the registration table, I saw familiar faces: a childhood friend, the local optometrist and race director, and my grade school health and PE teacher.  I pinned on my race bib, ran a short primer around a city block, and inquired about the Dyer girls, local athletic phenoms and daughters of a runner friend. I figured it was their year to shine at the race. They were out of town.

We lined up at the start between two orange cones, and I scanned the small crowd looking for a competitor. The woman wearing the marathon shirt caught my eye.

With enthusiasm, my friend called out, "On your mark, get set, ... "  Then dejectedly added, "The gun didn't go off."

For a second time it didn't sound on cue, but someone yelled to go on, so we did. I started out fast and tried to slow down, but by mile three, that wasn't a problem.

After mile two I encountered a barking dog protecting its territory, and I yelled out to the man in the yard, "Sir, that scares runners."

The last mile was a challenge, a gradual uphill battle.  I was happy to be the first woman of the 51 runners to reach the finish banner where volunteers held watches to keep time and pulled the tabs off the bibs. The director was still running the course, and bottled water sat in shrink wrapped pallets, so I walked back down Main Street to cheer on incoming runners.

The street was lined with church bake sales for the upcoming Memory Days Parade.  I was the only one clapping, and the sound echoed against the buildings.  One runner thanked me for applauding her effort.  The runners recovered and mingled until the race came to a close with a nice awards ceremony recognizing those who placed in their age groups.  The director mentioned that he had no awards for under age 15 because no one participated in that category.  That is quite telling.

This is in contrast to the community were I live, Apex, NC.  Today, my daughter's school running club of 3rd through 5th graders finished its spring season with a 5K beginning on the school grounds.  My hometown race had 51 participants;  the school race had 47 children.  I hope my daughter will be cleared to run by next Spring and that she will join other youth running through the streets of my hometown.