To all the Tarleton and Stephenville runners, lace up your shoes, it’s time for another race. Another chance to healthily exhaust your body just for fun and fitness, but this time in the dark. The Tarleton Recreational Center hosts yet another of their fabulous 5K’s and they want everyone to join; the Glow Run. 

“These races have been going on for so long, I’ve lost count,” Brad Mills, assistant director of campus recreation, states. “The rec has hosted races like this one and the turkey trot, I’ve even ran for a few of them!”

The Tarleton rec has been hosting 5K races since before 2008 and will continue to host them. Free for all students, faculty, and staff they love seeing the Tarleton racers competing. Perhaps, you may be thinking something like, ‘it sounds exciting but running just is not for me!’ That is completely ok, because these races are for everybody.

Director of campus recreation Daron Trussell exclaims. “We put on these races because we love seeing the students out here getting involved, we have people running fourteen minute races and we have people walking. We just want everyone to come out and have a good time.”

“Come on, let’s go cheer on mama,” President James Hurley tells his two toddler daughters after they finish racing.

They have truly become an inspiration to almost everyone on campus. The Hurleys were spotted at the beginning of the race lined up next to each other with President Hurley pushing the stroller occupied by his daughter’s,  Brooklyn and Blayklee. Towards the end the girls jumped out and finished the race on their own. 

Some of the Tarleton students who ran the race stated their excitement towards running and astonishment towards the winners. Finishing hand in hand, with a time of 18 minutes and 1 second, Kevin Baez and Riley McClure took first and second place with a smile and pant of exasperation. Throughout the entire race these two stuck right behind the pace car and stayed neck and neck. 

“I didn’t practice much, but honestly the person behind me is what really kept me going and made me want to push myself even more,” third place runner Michael Wetzel, expresses his feelings after the race. 

Wetzel also goes on to explain his history in cross country and how that also pushed him to continue in his race. After running races like the turkey trot he is excited for the next 5K. 

Coming from a former track athlete like myself, the best thing to do is to just put yourself out there. Yes, running can get extremely exhausting, but going to 5K’s and races opens up one’s world to a whole new experience. Making friends, sweating buckets, and even a sense of accomplishment no matter how you do in the race. One of the best feelings about running is crossing the finish line. So, get ready for Tarleton’s next annual homecoming run, go ahead and lace up those shoes and get running.