It was a perfect day for the I Scream For Half Marathon, 5k, & Kids’ 1k Fun Run on Sunday at Countryside Park in Portage. Nearly 400 participants gathered on the cool and sunny morning. This event, a benefit for the Portage Parks Foundation, was perfect for the whole family, longer races for the adults and a fun run for the children (ages 12 and younger). To make things even better, following each race there was an ice cream treat for every participant.
The 13.1 mile course was mostly on the paved Prairie-Duneland and Iron Horse bike trails with some surface roads, and every finisher of the half marathon received a medal. The 5k course was also on the Prairie-Duneland trail along with some neighborhood streets. Both courses were mostly flat and had shaded areas to keep runners cool, making for some fast finishing times.
Nielsen Mitsubishi Subaru of Portage sponsored the race. Kim Schikles, a salesman for Nielsen, was there to cheer on runners and had brought 3 vehicles, a 2014 Subaru Outback and Forester and a 2013 Subaru Impreza, from the dealership to show.
Schikles said, “Subaru, that’s their whole deal, active lifestyle. Subaru has always been big in the Northeast and Northwest, where there are a lot of outdoor activities; now they are getting more into these kinds of sports. It’s part of their advertising, active lifestyle.”
Also in attendance was Extra Mile Fitness, located in Valparaiso. They specialize in running shoes and running accessories. They had a table set up selling a great selection of shoes and also helped sponsor the race.
This race was Cindy Evett’s first ever 5k. She ran with her friends Jennifer Smolnicky, Amy Burke, and her daughter Erin. Smolnicky said, “Whenever it’s someone’s first race we run together as a team.” “It was a great course, we really liked it,” said the group of friends. Evett enjoyed her first 5k and will definitely run more races in the future. Smolnicky heard about the race from Cause 2 Compete. “A lot of us do a lot of their races,” she said.
Cause 2 Compete, the company that hosted the race, states from their website, “Cause 2 Compete is an athletics lifestyle events company that strives to be a positive force in our communities through events, clubs, and personal interactions. With the partnerships in our communities, we deliver quality athletic activities while also contributing time, money, effort, and awareness to both social and environmental causes that improve our communities and community relationships. It is our ultimate goal to be the change we want to see in our events and our partnerships. ‘We care about your Cause 2 Compete.’”
Overall, everyone had a great time at the I Scream For Half Marathon, 5k, & Kids’ 1k Fun Run, whether it was friends and family who came out to cheer and support the runners, or participants who enjoyed running course and not to mention the ice cream afterwards. It was all for a good cause as well, benefiting the Portage Parks Foundation.
{valpo}Click here to see more photos from the races!{/valpo}{portage}Click here to see more photos from the races!{/portage}{laporte}Click here to see more photos from the races!{/laporte}