Spring is coming and so are many athletic competitions, including the 29th Annual Wildflower Run.
This season favorite shall prove to be another successful race put on by Morgan Hill’s American Association of University Women. These ladies have been hard at work, designing a special day for everyone.
For those who want to register early for the race and save some cash, make sure to do so by March 22; the fee goes up by $5 the following day.
One purpose of this race is to raise money for a scholarship program for girls who attend public middle school and are eligible to participate in Tech Trek, a science and math camp at Stanford University.
There are two changes for the April 1 event, and no, this isn’t an April Fool’s Day prank: a new course for the 5K route, and the kids 2K age category is for 10 years old and under. The 10K USATF-certified course remains untouched.
Also, the Jamba Juice smoothies at the finish line festivities, the cheerful volunteers, medals for the kids, prizes for the top finishers and the colorful race shirts are a mainstay. Speaking of shirts, this year’s purple number will feature a simple logo with a runner’s legs in front of a large California poppy.
What makes this race different from others is its ever-evolving T-shirt art. To keep things fresh in the creative arena, the AAUW will host an art contest for anyone willing to illustrate the design for next year’s tee. The deadline for entries will be in June.
What keeps runners coming back to revisit the Wildflower Run?
Charles Weston, a marathoner and race director for the IDI July 4th 5K in Morgan Hill has run the Wildflower 15 times.
“It’s flat, comes at a good time of the year to test one’s fitness, and it’s a local race for a very good cause,” he said.
Shannon McRoberts, also from Morgan Hill, is a devotee.
“It’s a lot of fun because I like the Jamba Juice at the end and people hang out to watch the medal ceremony. So it’s kind of more like a party than some other races that I do,” she mused.
McRoberts’ mother Jody added, “In 2007, this was the first race that Shannon, my son Jacob and I did when we first started running and racing. We decided to stick together to encourage each other. It was a lot of fun.”
Race director Elizabeth Mandel and the AAUW are brimming with new ideas.
“One of the things we’ve been working on this year is the history of the run. We have some people creating a document that’s a history of the run over the years. The first run was in 1984,” Mandel said. “We are hoping to put it on our website when it’s finished.”
Weston encourages everyone to participate.
“This is a good event to run if you are new to running,” he said. “Lots of support and friendly volunteers to make up for any nervousness one might have.”
Details: For more information, visit www.Wildflowerrun.org
