Runners take off from the starting line of the Burns Park Run 5K on Sunday morning. (Photo: Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com)
Burns Park residents expecting to sleep in a little Sunday morning might have run into some unexpected trouble. The 31st annual Burns Park Run attracted hundreds of runners to the park at 8:30 a.m. — and they were all met with a cowbell-heavy celebration at the finish line.
People from as far away as State College, Penn., made the trip to Ann Arbor to compete in the run, which has gotten bigger in size and attendance each of the last five years.
The event has become a community tradition, one that citizens of the area look forward to every summer.
Tony Pinnell, whose kids go to Burns Park Elementary School, has run the race for each of the last three years. This year, he and his daughter, Emma, participated in the festivities. He says it raises community spirits and brings neighbors together.
“Oh, yeah, it’s a great event that my family looks forward to it every year,” Pinnell said. “It just brings lot of people together, and the kids love it. It just gives everyone a chance it get out and see your friends and meet new people, too.”
Pinnell said he fought through a few cramps this year but was proud of the way he finished — and he certainly wasn’t the only one.
Although the Burns Park Run hands out medals to age groups, the race is more about individual achievement than competitiveness, in both the 5 and 10K runs. The age groups ranged from kindergarten to 75 to 79.
“It’s great that they just promote fitness,” said Serena Kessler, who was the overall female 10K champ. “Especially the kids, they’re just out here running for the pure joy of it.”
Kessler has been participating in the Burns Park Run for several years now and had collected a few second-place medals but had never gotten over the hump.
She laughed, saying that she actually ran one of her slower Burns Park Runs this year, but the gold medal is still quite a prize. Her kids go to Ann Arbor Open at Mack, and she is particularly happy with the fundraiser aspect of the race, because it gives her an opportunity to give back directly to her kids’ school.
One of the race’s ultimate goals — besides raising money for the elementary school — is to get kids excited about exercise and healthy living. In the past, the race has attracted a big turnout from Burns Park, but this year, co-directors Joel and Jackie Dalton decided to outreach past the community and try to get more kids to the event.
More than 200 youngsters showed up yesterday, running in the 5K, 10K and the Fun Run. Jackie said she was pleased with the turnout.
“We had an amazing turnout this year, especially considering it rained earlier,” she said.
The Daltons teamed up with the Ann Arbor Track Club to create the Youth Fitness Challenge, which encourages kids to run all summer. If they log 25K-worth of organized races over the course of the summer, they get a special medal.
You can learn more about the Youth Fitness Challenge at aatrackclub.org/.
Andy Reid covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at andrewreid@annarbor.com.
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