Back in April, my sister-in-law approached me with an offer - would I like to be the Race Director for the KMCR? Well, as a runner for over two decades, and the aunt to this young boy after whom the race is named, the answer certainly was an easy one.
K was my husband's nephew (and then mine, when we married) who was killed at the age of 7, in 2010, after being hit by a car. The race was created by a close family friend who had headed it up for the last years, but needed to step down due to other obligations.
Since we moved her only one year ago, I wasn't able to participate in the planning before. The first year, I ran it 7 months pregnant. Last year, I ran and got second in my age group. So this year - going from never being on the committee to race director was quite a jump.
The planning had taken about 7-8 months, and the race kicked off this past Saturday.
My nephew hanging out on the stage.
That's just a few of the tons of pictures from the weekend. My sister and her family, as well as my mother, came in from Chicago. My brother and his family came in from Tennessee. A house full a laughter, kids running around squealing, my son taking 3-hour naps because he is so worn out from the fun, and just being surrounded by so much love and support - it was an amazing weekend!
As for the actual race directing: right now, it's hard to put into words. It was one of the most emotional processes I have endured, yet one of the most rewarding. There were definitely some ups and downs, but overall it was a truly incredible experience. My mind is already looking towards next year, and how to keep up the momentum of the event!
1 comment:
You're awesome. Your whole family is awesome. *high fives*
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