Salute to Freedom 5K

Salute to Freedom 5K

June 12, 2010
Macon, GA
Time: 24:10
Age Group: 3/4
Overall: 23/118

Comments: The Salute to Freedom 5K moved this year from its traditional location at the Sports Hall of Fame and environs to Tattnall Square Park and the Mercer University campus. I was sad to lose one of my favorite courses but glad to see this friendly race continuing. I hoped the change in venue would not change the warm spirit of the race.

No worries. The race was as friendly as ever. The race is run as part of the Juneteenth Festival that celebrates the final freeing of slaves after the Civil War. The race itself is one of the most racially diverse in the area. I love seeing runners erasing some of the racial lines that seem to be drawn in other places in our community.

The most entertaining part of the race this year was the map of the course given to all participants prior to the race. No matter where you turned before the race you saw another runner turning the map around and around trying to figure out the new course. I enjoyed sharing my guesses (which turned out to be close) with my many running friends. What the map lacked in clarity it made up for as a conversation starter.

The heat and humidity were pretty high so I did not plan on running a fast race. I also remembered some early experiences with races at Mercer. While this course promised to be different (whatever it might actually be) I knew that Mercer is ultimately one big hill.

As it turned out, the course was much easier to follow than it was to read on a map. We ran a small loop through the Greek section of Mercer back through the sidewalks in the park. Then we set out on another lap more around the edge of campus and the park. It was a nice run, plenty to look at on campus, but just as hilly as I suspected.

I held back, seeing no point in destroying myself before setting off on a long car trip to Mississippi. I enjoyed the run, appreciated the refreshments at the finish, and was amused to finish in 3rd place for my age group. As always, it's amazing what I can do when fast people stay home.

Salute to Freedom also carried on one of its other traditions: having the longest awards ceremony ever. This is due to having lots of door prizes as well as the many kind comments said about the winning runners. The awards have such a warm, friendly tone that it's easy to forget how long they actually take to complete. The awards this year were fun - a gold winged foot with black and white detailing - a unique trophy and an excellent symbol of the race itself.