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OPINIONS
Thumbs up: 5K event inspires both individuals and the community
While the desire to win or place high among the list of finishers was the motivation for many participants in the West Virginia 5K Championship, it was evident that most had something else in mind, too.
And that's to make a statement about fitness, both in respect to themselves as well as the community at large.
It was the second year for the event in Huntington after about a decade in which West Virginia had no sanctioned state championship race. The 2009 event had 513 finishers, breaking the record of 351 participants for any 5K race in Huntington. Last Saturday's event drew even more, 540 participants, a sign that this event will have some legs in the future.
Plans for holding a 5K championship run began after Huntington was labeled in the fall of 2008 in an article by The Associated Press as the fattest city in America. Cabell County resident and race director Pat Riley lead the effort, citing his desire for the community to take that article as motivation to become healthier.
Clearly, many have. Both before and after the race, participants talked about their efforts to become more fit and how taking part in the event was a symbol of that work. Representatives of the United Way of the River Cities, which received proceeds from the event to help pay for its health and fitness initiatives, reflected on that after Saturday's race. "This event, what it means to the United Way, is community," said Cassey Bowden, director of resource and marketing of the United Way. "You see how many people are here, getting out, trying to be active, trying to be fit, working toward healthy lifestyles."
We congratulate Riley and others who worked to make the West Virginia 5K Championship a success. Mostly, though, we congratulate the participants. No matter where they finished in the standings, they were winners.
