We ended March with a 5K that is very small and very local. It’s the March To Get Screened, in support of colon cancer awareness, treatment, and research. In addition to being a wonderful cause, it’s close to home and on a Sunday, which usually works out beautifully for my schedule. Let’s get into the details!
About The Race
March To Get Screened is a race put on by the Borland Groover Foundation, one of our leading GI medical facilities. I’ve been running this event on and off for probably about 10 years. It’s moved locations several times from Jacksonville Beach to Riverside, but it seems to have found a great home at the Borland Groover office in St. Johns. No complaints here. It’s also worth noting that at the same time, the group really leaned into the poop emoji, which replaced the MTGS logo on medals. Again, no complaints!
The Night Before
I was pretty off my game the night before the race. Mr PugRunner was out of town, A was working, and I had some client walks that evening AND in the morning. I did what I had to do, ate dinner, drank water, and went to bed. My only plan was to wear blue and pick up a bagel in the morning because my day was going to start super early.
Race Morning
There was no time for dilly dallying. I popped up with my alarm, and got moving. My first order of business was to take care of my doggy client (I have a deal with the pet parent that on race mornings, I will do a quick potty and breakfast before I head out, and then come back after the race for another potty so she doesn’t have to wait so long for her next scheduled visit. It works for all parties). And then I drove over to Borland Groover. I was early, but not incredibly early, and it was a close call with parking. I got one of the last six spots in the venue parking lot. Whew. There is other parking available but I wasn’t in the mood to find the other lots.
I love the way these banners of support look in the sunrise.
The Start Line
I picked up my big and shirt (they gave everything in a nice, reuseable bag), dropped extras in my car, and then went in to explore. I used the bathroom twice, because of course I did, and I cruised around the vendors and such. There’s always great giveaways and photo opps at this event. I never thought I would pose with an inflatable poop mascot, but here we are.
Things started right on time, with the National Anthem. It was supposed to be warm, but it was actually quite chilly with overcast skies and a rather cold wind. I had a long sleeve shirt over my tank top, and I was glad to have it. At the appointed time, we were off!
Miles 1-3.1
The MTGS goes through several residential neighborhoods in the Durbin area, making a large loop before returning to the parking lot of Borland Groover. It’s fairly straightfoward, even though it’s an open course. That being said, there are quite a few turns and curves, but that only keeps things interesting. I set out to run the first mile and a half straight through, and then dropped into comfortable intervals. There was a well supplied water station, which I skipped, and plenty of room to run. I felt great the whole time, and crossed the finish line with a big smile.
The Finish Line
I felt strong when I crossed the finish line and collected my medal. It was a good effort, and even though I was tired, the overcast day with chilly wind served me well. A coffee truck and acai truck were on site but the lines were long, and I figured I could snag something at home just as easily. I had a lot on the schedule, so I took my final photos, cheered on some more runners, and called it a day.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good: I mean, how can you not love a poop-themed race? Especially when it’s there in support of colon cancer? There is a ton of support, plenty of photo opps (including a step and repeat, an inflatable colon, and marquee letters and balloons). Swag is fabulous with a great medal and a unisex t-shirt (I prefer regular t-shirts so this is a plus for me).
The Bad: I don’t love an open course, but the race is small enough and early enough that cars on the road weren’t a huge issue. There were professional photographers on the course, but I’ll be darned if I can find them. No link was emailed, and it’s not on the race website or social media. Bummer. This is a picky thing but last year, the food trucks offered complimentary breakfast to runners, while this year they did not. I went elsewhere for food.
The Ugly: None.
Final Thoughts
This is really a wonderful event with a community feel. If you haven’t run it, I highly recommend it. While I do know some people who have been affected by colon cancer (and are doing so well, thank goodness!), the event welcomes all support. It’s perfect for runners and walkers, experienced athletes and people out for their very first 5K. I love having it on my schedule.
Will I see you out there next year?
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