On the bright and sunny morning of Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, 51 students and community members joined forces during a 5K Run-Walk. This event was just one of 12 events that took place during NEIU Weekend throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Several events targeted different statuses of individuals, such as alumni, students and community members.
Participation medals were lined up on a table guarded by staff members. Trophies were available for the top three front-runners who crossed the finish line.
Mary Carmen Hernandez, undergraduate in Music Education, and Miranda Elgazar, undergraduate in Elementary Education, were two students who joined the races on behalf of the Future Teachers Living Learning Community at NEIU.
A 5K run may require some preparation for serious participants who desire to be a front-runner, but the Golden Eagle 5K Run-Walk provided a much more relaxing atmosphere that does not require as much preparation on the participants’ behalf, “I signed up for this event at about 1:00 a.m. last night and drank water this morning,” Hernandez said. “I didn’t prepare, actually; I left my headphones at home; they’re dead, so I came here with an open mind.”
A 15-minute delay took place, and the race began at 8:15 a.m. with all participants behind the starting line. “I think it’s due to unpreparedness,” Hernandez said. “The event just wasn’t set up completely yet, and I think they’re looking for volunteers to be at checkpoints.”
“So I think it’s just a matter of ‘it’s early in the morning,’ [and] we’re [still] putting it together,” Hernandez chuckled.
In the past, she has completed the Lincolnwood Turkey Trot and Chicago Hot Chocolate runs, “I’m used to 5Ks,” Hernandez said. “But this is my first one that’s NEIU-based, so I don’t know if we have a Turkey Trot or a Cocoa Run equivalent but it’d be cool to see one of those [at NEIU].”
Everybody may experience various challenges during athletic events, such as routes, navigation, getting up early or trying something new, “It’s a new route that we’re unfamiliar with, so though it looks like there’s some chalk to kind of guide us, navigation of the course is the most intimidating,” Hernandez said. “But really it’s just the perimeter of NEIU, so I don’t expect to see anything new and groundbreaking, but it’ll be a nice way to start the morning and to relax I guess.”
Challenges are different from each person involved. Sometimes the best way to be prepared for an event is to show up and be present, even if that means just getting out of bed. “Mainly just waking up early, that was pretty challenging,” Elgazar agreed with the sentiment.
The inspiration for Hernandez and Elgazar taking part in this event was to form new memories in the form of camaraderie, “I’m walking with one of my classmates [Elgazar], so spending the time getting to know other students is something I’m looking forward to [doing].”
The route traced the perimeter of the entire campus for the most part with the exception of Foster Avenue. The direction of the race was clockwise around campus, and the start of the race began behind the P.E. Complex near the dumpsters. The path continued westbound towards Parking Lot L and continued right towards West Bryn Mawr Avenue. The runners and walkers turned right at West Bryn Mawr Avenue and turned right at North St. Louis Avenue. All runners turned right towards the P.E. Complex. There were two laps, and each lap differentiated themselves by making an extra loop at two spots on the track in order to sum up a total of five kilometers. Most of the participants completed the competition within 25 minutes.
Regardless of experience level, a 5K event could satisfy all walks of life. The benefits of participating in such an event can definitely have positive health implications, engage camaraderie among participants or inspire individuals to get out of bed early enough to start the day.
