Tradition and Pride at Carter County 5K

Over Memorial Day Weekend, I returned to my hometown of Grayson, Kentucky, to visit family and attend the town's special events leading up to Memorial Day.  On Saturday morning I ran my fourth Carter County Fight Against Cancer 5K.  Last year I focused on what the race lacked: young participants and cheering spectators.  This year I embraced all that the race is.  I also noticed that the race was symbolic of this year's Memory Days theme of "Tradition and Pride." The poster publicizing events depicts the century-old, traditional courthouse juxtaposed with the new courthouse, a point of pride.  In the local running community, it is now a tradition to support our hometown race and take pride in our ability to run.

In its 7th year, this small race has woven itself into the fabric of Memory Days, now in its 43rd year. At the end of the race, most participants waited for the awards ceremony and acknowledged each other's efforts (and because the race is so small, many of them were recognized for placing in their age group).   I spoke with the third woman finisher, who told me she ran her first marathon at this year's Kentucky Derby Marathon.  She aspires to run a big city race (sorry Louisville!) such as New York or Chicago, and ultimately Boston, and is proud of each accomplishment as she continues to work toward her goals.

I ran the race because it is now a tradition for me to show up on that Saturday morning when I am in town.  It is tradition for Bradley Cherry to be the first-place male finisher each year.  My friend Kristy Dyer returned this year.  She shared her love of running with daughters Macy and Maddie who ran the race with her for the first time.  I have a hunch that this will become a family tradition.  Macy was the first female finisher.  I was fortunate to chat with another woman for a few minutes before and after the race.  She was kind to help me with a problematic jacket zipper in the parking lot before the race while she shared that this was her second year to run the race.  She told me she didn't train for it, but feels this is a new and important tradition for her, so she showed up.  She set a personal record and won her age group.  She, too, was proud of her personal accomplishment, and during the awards ceremony showed me a picture of herself, an image of a woman I did not recognize. The mother of four told me that two years ago she weighed a substantial amount more than she does today.

I wholeheartedly congratulated the women who shared their stories and ambitions.  For me this race has transformed from what it is not to what it is:  a tradition for a few local runners testing their limits and learning what they can accomplish.  There is no fanfare; only personal satisfaction among kindred runners.   It's perfect the way it is.  When I arrived home after the race, my family asked if I had won.  I told them that I was pleased with my finish and that everyone who showed up for the race was a winner.