Return to Your Marks, Get Set … Go! Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Submitted
Looking for an outlet that is outdoors and promotes both physical and mental health? What I think 2020 has taught us is that while we had to reprioritize our lives last year—and rightfully so—it also taught us the importance of having healthy outlets for us to decompress and to stay “balanced.”
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he ability to set goals and to hold ourselves accountable for meeting those goals is part of our prepandemic routine. Why wait for the pandemic to be “over”? You can still explore whatever creative and/ or physical outlets make you feel reenergized. And for you runners out there—I highly recommend registering for this year’s Zionsville Half Marathon & 5k run/ walk taking place in downtown Zionsville on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021!
Dust Off Your Running Shoes Registration is open for this year’s Zionsville Half Marathon & 5k. You still have plenty of time to start training! You can register online or on Saturday, Oct. 16, during packet pickup or on race morning beginning at 5:45 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. Saturday packet pickup will be at Greek’s Pizzeria in Zionsville, 30 North Main Street, from 10:30 a.m.–noon. Enjoy 15% off food/drinks during or after you get your packet. Both the half marathon and the 5K will begin at 7:30 a.m. Medals will be given to all finishers in both races. Pizza and refreshments will be available after the race! An additional bonus, runners will be offered one free beer at Greek’s Pizzeria to all half marathon runners that are 21 and over. Bring ID!
The Secret Is Out—Zionsville Is a Running Town This will be the sixth consecutive year for the Zionsville Half Marathon & 5k. It was founded by Zionsville resident Mike Cole who also puts on the Big Boom 4th of July 5k and the Zionsville Lions 5k & 10k. Cole, who competed in track and cross country while he attended Ball State University, is also a running coach and personal trainer who works with people at all levels of experience, from beginners to those who are competing in marathons. He purposely designed the Zionsville Half Marathon course to showcase the community and take runners through “the best sides of Zionsville.” Cole is currently planning on returning to and is training for the Boston Marathon. Cole spoke about the impact COVID-19 had on last year’s race and the move from running the Zionsville Half Marathon & 5k from April to October—a move that may become permanent. “The only good thing about COVID-19 [and 2020] was that I saw so many people outside,” Cole said. “I feel like everybody was on the trails and going to local, state and national parks, hiking with their families.” When asked if the pandemic affected the marathon/race circuits here locally, Cole admitted that he and other local race
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directors saw a decrease in participation. “We’re not back to a prepandemic ‘norm,’” Cole said. “And we pushed last year’s race from April to the fall. The weather was good, the times were good and everybody was happy. Everything worked out pretty well. We decided to leave it in the fall this year, and we will see what the entries come in at, get some feedback from the runners, and then we’ll make a decision about whether or not we permanently leave [the half marathon and 5K] in the fall.” Cole and his team will need volunteers for the races to run water stations and other race-related tasks. If your student is looking for volunteer hours or if your family and/or co-workers are looking for a volunteer opportunity that is outdoors and supports local—contact Mike Cole at mike@run2race.com. Registration and event information for both races can be found at run2race.com. Zionsville Monthly is proud to be the media sponsor for this great event in downtown Zionsville.
SEPTEMBER 2021
2021-09-22 7:12 PM
