Featured 5k of the Week - Get Your Rear In Gear (benefiting the Colon Cancer Coalition)

Featured 5k of the Week - Get Your Rear In Gear!

The Get Your Rear In Gear is the name for the Colon Cancer Coalition Awareness 5k. These are held throughout the country, founded in Minnesota, but this particular one was held in Tinley Park, IL.

Unfortunately, this form of cancer doesn't get nearly the publicity as many other forms, making this an important opportunity to raise awareness. And this 5k focuses on that aspect just as much as the money-raising and the actual run/walk. At the event there is a tent dedicated to awareness, detection, and prevention. There are even special kits available, free of charge and plenty of literature. This is the point behind charity 5Ks, and this event puts this first and foremost.

As for the event, it was divided into 3 categories, a 5k timed-run, a children's dash, and a non-competitive walk. Each one started at a different time.

The event also had special "In Memory / In Honor" bibs available for participants to personalize and wear, if they wished. This is definitely a nice addition to the event, since so many participants were running in someone's honor or memory.

The course itself was very enjoyable. It actually started on the grass with a wide "cross-country" start, which quickly funneled down onto the bike/walking path - making for a very interesting start. Sort of like those Formula 1 races when 18 cars go into the narrow first turn. But even with nearly 300 runners all squeezing onto a bike path in less than 30 yards from the start - nobody bumped anybody, nobody tripped, nobody got hurt, nobody got mad - it probably looked pretty cool from an aerial view (or maybe even funny, like "how many people can we squeeze into this funnel).

The rest of the race was primarily on the bike path which went around the local water park, past the staging area (which was cool to run past all the cheering observers and workers), then south along a bike path towards a water tower. Just past the water tower was a turn around. Instead of the common tight 360 degree turn, the path actually made a wide turn going through some grass and back onto the path. Rather unique and more enjoyable than the standard hairpin. Then, right beneath the water tower was..........the water stop. How perfect!!! The course then headed back north - went around the water park one more time to finish in the staging area. The path was actually more hilly than it looked, no major hills, but a few gently rolling hills. But for every uphill, there will always be a downhill.

Definitely a fun course and a well run event for a great cause!

More information on the Coalition and future races at : http://www.coloncancercoalition.org/