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Monday, September 24, 2018

Gleaux Run 2018

Well, another Gleaux Run 5K benefiting the American Cancer Society is in the books!

Gleaux Run

This was our 4th Gleaux Run and although turnout was a bit less than previous years, we still had an amazing race and a great time! I love volunteering with the American Cancer Society and events like this make all the extra time and energy worth it! Check out previous year's recaps here, here and here.

Gleaux Run 5K

For starters, it rained almost all day long on event day. We kept praying it would pass through by evening time and although it seriously looked ominous with lighting off in the distance, we had a local meteorologist out there on our team and he reassured us that all would be ok (and it was)!


Setup began around 3 p.m. and having plenty of hands out there to help made the process a breeze!

One major change we made this year was the registration table - we moved it closer to our stage to keep everything and everyone centrally located. This helped a ton with the crowd at the stage for opening ceremonies. In previous years, we've had registration a bit further off from the stage and runners missed a lot of the announcements and parts of opening ceremonies.

Gleaux Run 5K

Another major change we made this year had to do with the mile marker signs. In the past, runners told me that the signs were not visible at all. With this being a night time race, this route can be dark and although I've used glow in the dark paint for the mile marker numbers, they still weren't seen once the sun completely set.

We've also used glow sticks inside of balloons in the past which didn't work at all either.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw a pack of balloons at Walgreens (of all places) that were MEANT to glow. Each balloon had a tab inside and once pulled, the light was activated. These balloons glowed for hours (as a matter of fact, they were still glowing the next day) and runners said the balloons were highly visible on the route! It felt great to finally have a victory with these signs after the third year of trying! I also used white lettering on top of a black background which also made a world of difference.

Gleaux Run 5K

Our group of volunteers were amazing this year, including our local university softball team. When I say they are some of the best volunteers I've ever worked with, I mean it!!

Gleaux Run 5K

So grateful for them!

Gleaux Run 5K

Our children's pastor led the prayer before the race and he prayed for no rain and no potholes! Both prayers were answered! :)

Gleaux Run 5K

When I saw these dedicated Mickey glow ears at Target this summer, I knew I had to snag a pack for the race! So fun!

Gleaux Run 5K

We were advised that starting the race 10 minutes early would be wise because of the weather and the Marshal ok'd it. Most people had already picked up their race packets, so we made a last minute decision to be safe and kick the race off early.

Gleaux Run 5K

Runners lined up beneath our arch with luminaria bags lining the way. Each bag was created in honor of a loved one battling cancer or in memory of a loved one who has lost their battle with cancer. It was a really neat visual to see them all lit up at the start and finish line.


My friends all completed the race together and said they had a great time out there!

Gleaux Run 5K

Although we didn't have medals for every runner this year, we did have medals for our first, second, and third place male and female!

Gleaux Run 5K

Cleanup this year was a breeze, thanks to all of our amazing help!

Gleaux Run 5K

By the end, my legs were tired and even though I didn't officially "run" the race, I still had plenty of miles under my belt for the day!

Our major hiccup this year had to do with the arch. This is only the second time I've used it and wasn't responsible for it last year, so I wasn't even thinking about extension cords. This was a total face palm moment for me because...hello, Karen..duh. Thankfully, our local running store owner was out there and came to my rescue. He was so kind and let me borrow two of his extension cords which seriously saved the day!  I was so thankful for him.

...and that's a wrap for the 2018 Gleaux Run! I am ready and excited for next year's event! Bring on 2019!!

Tuesdays on the Run

It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with ErikaMarcia and Patty

14 comments:

  1. This looks like a great event! Glad it was a good experience!!!

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  2. I love your commitment to this race and your willingness to figure out ways to make it better. The glow balloons sound perfect! Glad it went so well.

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    1. Thank you so much, Shelley! The glow balloons were the perfect addition!

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  3. I love reading your behind the scenes when you volunteer to help out these events. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Wow, what a great event! It's especially nice when the weather cooperates. It sounds like you had an awesome team of volunteers as well. Congrats!!

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    1. Thank you! We really did have a great group of helpers!

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  5. Love those Mickey glow ears.
    I have a glow run on Friday and I have nothing that glows (except my Run lites).

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    1. A lot of these glow sticks game from Walmart or a place like a dollar store! Have fun at your run!!

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