Riddle me this, riddle me that; Who’s afraid of driving to Douglas County for a 5k that benefits the Riddle High School track and field team? You shouldn’t be if you are looking for a new rural running experience at the Riddle Sawdust Jubilee 5k. They are strictly about the runnning – no frills, no shirts or swag bags – just an accurately measured and timed race for $20.
The race is described as PR-seekers dream, an out-and-back flat course on Yokum Road (alongside the Cow Creek) that starts and ends at the Riddle Community Center. While there isn’t a course map (and really it appears to be 1.86 miles each way), a quick Google Maps visual shows some fantastically country landscapes. It is also mostly shaded, so it stays cool on a usually hot day of the year.
Afterwards, stick around for the Riddle Sawdust Jubilee. Here’s a description:
The Riddle Sawdust Jubilee is a community wide, three-day celebration of our nation’s independence, culminating in a huge fireworks show on the evening of July 4th. Wood chips & sawdust will be part of the decor for the celebration, bringing back the memories people have of “the good ole times” when the Jubilee happened on Main Street.
The 4th of July Parade, always a crowd pleaser, winds its way through the community and down Main Street. Car Shows, outhouse races, music, vendors, several competitions and games fill up the three day schedule. The firework show is where whole families lay out their blankets, set up their lawn chairs and enjoy mingling with family, friends and neighbors. They can dance on the turf or just listen to the music before the “ooohing & aaaaahing” begins, as the first spectacular display of pyrotechnics light up the night sky!
We run on an old-fashioned decomposed granite track, but that hasn’t stopped us from winning state titles (girls in 1973 and 74; boys in 1998). We’ve produced scads of individual champions, including Moana Gianotti in the shotput last month. Our athletes are real go-getters in the classroom and life. That makes it easy to want to fundraise for them and their track equipment.
Riddle Sawdust Jubilee 5k
When: July 4, 2017
Where: Riddle Community Center
Register: Online here; $20
