What fun it was to read the comments to my last post announcing I had a race entry to the Cherry Festival’s 5K & 15K event to give away. Memories shared included running with family members, running one of the race’s earliest events with only a few dozen runners, waking up early to the sounds of the race, and making the trek to Traverse City to partake in festival fun—from kids’ activities at the Open Space to family-friendly parades and spectacular fireworks. Each and every story was so cool to read. And then there were those who shared that you’re relatively new to the festival and would love to have the chance to explore the city and the sights by participating in the race.
Oh, how I wanted to give each person free entry. If I’d had to pick a winner personally myself, I’m not sure I could. These memories are so good—thank you, all, for taking the time to share them. I used Random.org (in other words, I did not do the picking. This was a completely random drawing).
Without further ado, the winner of the giveaway is northern Michigan runner Mary Lannin, who shared a memory of taking her two kids to their very first Cherry Festival and participating in the rubber ducky races on the Boardman River in downtown.
“One year I bought rubber ducks for my kids to decorate and do the rubber ducky race. I told my kids a balloon would be a good idea to tie to the duck to make it fast. Little Ruthie tried it in hopes of speed and a win for her duck. The balloon wound up dragging the duck about 10 feet behind all the 1,000s of ducks and was very easy to identify. Of course I was to blame—the nerve of suggesting such a terrible idea!”
Here’s to a speedier race result for you, Mary, when you run either the 5K or 15K on July 6!
Mary, please email me at michiganrunnergirl [at] gmail [dot] com to claim your prize. You may choose an entry to the 5K or the 15K.
There’s still plenty of time to sign on for this event. (There’s even in-person race-day registration for anyone unsure of summer travel plans or if you’re a spontaneous kind of person—hey, I can relate!) Registration details:
- Online registration closes July 4.
- Through July 4, runners 13 & under may register for $10 with a paid adult registration.
- Through July 4, cost is $38 for the 15K, $33 for the 5K, and $25 for either race for those 18 and under.
More information can be found at the Festival of Races site here »
Hope to see you all there!
