Stoller Middle School was the venue for the 3rd annual Stoller Community 5K. I have to admit, I expected a small race, but when I arrived I could tell that this was a production. Tents were popping up, the Voodoo Doughnut van was parked selling doughnuts with several pink boxes already making their way to vehicles, a band (of Stoller alumni) was playing, and there were already many people milling around. This was not going to be a small “fun run.” This race was definitely legit!
The line at the tent for Volunteer Check-In was quite long, but the packet pick-up line was fairly short and moved quickly. I received my swag bag, race bib, and t-shirt in no time at all. As start time got closer, I was amazed by the number of people who continued to arrive. Over half of the participants were students, so it was not your typical race crowd, but it was awesome to see so many kids out for a 5K. In talking to the race director, Elisa, I found out that many of the Stoller Middle School students were eager to participate because this event could take the place of one of their required PE assignments or tests.
The event began with a Stoller student singing the national anthem and then it was time for the Jr. Jaguar Jog (the kids run). Parents and little ones lined up for a short race on the school grounds with cheerleaders lining the start/finish area cheering them on.
Soon it was time for the 5K and the over 700 participants began filling the starting area. I wasn’t sure where to place myself in the line-up, as I assumed many of the younger participants would start out in a sprint before realizing they needed to pace themselves, so I just lined up and hoped for the best. It seemed that there were many first time racers, both adults and students, participating. I love that this community environment made so many people feel comfortable coming out to try their first 5K.
With a countdown, we were off. The students’ excitement was evident as we made our way out of the school property and into a neighborhood. Cheerleaders were cheering, “L-E-T-S-G-O! Let’s go! Let’s go!” People lined the street clapping, waving, cheering, and taking photos as we headed out. Dodging other racers was fairly easy at first as the street was wide, but we soon turned onto a busier street that required runners to use either the bike lane or the sidewalk. With the notorious sprint to sudden stop pattern that many younger kids employ, this part of the race required my full attention. However, I enjoyed listening to the conversations of some of the students as the topics ranged from “strategy” to gossip. I passed a student with an untied shoe and felt the need to keep him safe, so I let him know about his shoelace. Apparently, he didn’t feel it was impeding his progress and he just kept going. After that I noticed at least 5-6 more kids with a shoelace flopping about, but I decided to keep my “helpfulness” to myself as they all seemed to be managing just fine. How do they do that? An untied shoelace is a guaranteed way to stop me on the run.
Elisa had told me that they had their own “Heartbreak Hill” on this route, so every little incline made me wonder, Was that it? When we turned off of the streets and jumped on to Morgan’s Run Park Trail. I saw a sign that said, “Hill Ahead” and figured this was the infamous hill. It wasn’t super steep, but this hill went on forever! The hill reduced many runners to a slow walk – it was a challenge. There were plenty of volunteers along this stretch offering encouragement to the racers. One man near the top of the hill was particularly enthusiastic, which I truly appreciated. I was beginning to suck wind, but he reminded us there were just 20 yards left and I powered through those last 20 yards despite my protesting lungs. After the crest of the hill there was only about half a mile left with some good downhill to enjoy.
Cheerleaders greeted us again near the finish with cheers of encouragement. Volunteers were at the finish line making sure all finishers got water. I appreciated getting a large bottle of water as opposed to the dixie cup or small bottles at some events. When I’m done running, I want plenty of water. There were lots of post-race snacks available and a couple of food vendors. I noticed that it wasn’t long before the Voodoo Doughnut line was super long! I wondered if they had enough doughnuts in that little truck for all of those people in line.
I checked the age group results but they were posting just the top 2 in each age group. With age groups in 2 year age increments for the younger participants, there were many student winners. From age 15 on the results were listed in 5 year increments. The timing company had a place to check your times online, but with the many participants eager to see how they did, I opted out of waiting in the long lines and decided I would just check my results online later. After enjoying the race environment for a while, I did some stretching then headed off to Starbucks for my usual post-race chai. When I got to Starbucks, I realized I already had an email from Huber Timing in my inbox with my results. What a great feature!
The Stoller Community 5K had a great community feel. With racers of all ages and ability levels, it was obvious that the race organizers had created an environment that was perfect for a first timer as well as the seasoned racer. They also made sure that the race was not just a local “fun run,” but a real race experience. If you haven’t participated in this event yet, I would recommend you run it next year! Not only will you get to experience a race alongside first-timers and students, but your participation will help fund various programs/needs at Stoller Middle School. This year we helped with the purchase of new fitness equipment for the PE program. I enjoyed the sunshine and the excitement at this race this morning and will definitely be back to run Stoller Community 5K again.