Episode 15: So You Want to Start a 5K? Featuring Kelsey Redmann and Katie Mercer

"Episode 15: So You Want to Start a 5K?"  Available on most podcast apps, including Apple, Google, Spotify and Anchor

 
Upper Rt. Katie (center) and Kelsey(right), Mid: Race Registartion, Below: Start of 1Mile Fun Run

Katie Mercer and Kelsey Redman (above right) are Co-Directors for a successful small town 4th of July race, The Beaverton Firecracker 5K (and 1 Mile Fun Run), which has grown year after year and they've just completed their 6th consecutive annual. They have learned a lot along the way, experienced challenges and gained insight from others, now have a great deal of wisdom to share with potential startup race organizers. There is a learning curve, and runners tend to share as races grow, if they are well organized and implemented, and listening to the runners.  Among the topics we discuss in this episode:

- Logistics: costs and registration

- "Running for a Cause", choosing a charity

-  Race course determination & setup 

- Chip timed or traditional?

- Community Partnerships & Donations, Seeking Sponsorship

- Advertising: word of mouth and social media

- Swag: medals, shirts and prizes

- How and why to recruit volunteers

Short RunDoc Clips:
Running Anthropologist was there, and even filmed some of the setup. We have several videos in normal time and also a GoPro Timelapse x10 Speed of the entire 5k race course itself, which can be viewed from our:
 Youtube Page and 
Facebook page.  
The course was about 1/3 city, 1/3 cross country and 1/3 country roads, traveling through a beautiful part of Michigan and surrounded by Amish Country.  Thanks to The Beaverton Community Center, pictured in background below, which enabled this 5K to happen and also serves as the center of the community in many ways, hosting many such events, nonprofit organizations, library and youth programming.

Paula Shoyer, Kelsey Redman & myself (Mark Lane-Holbert)