Once upon a time, in a land far away, a young boy took a ratty old towel, draped it over his shoulders. He did his best to tie a knot so it would stay in place. He ran around the house yelling “Na-na Na-na Na-na Na-na Na-na Na-na Na-na!..Batman!!!” He did this for hours on end. All day. Day after day. His parents looked forward to the day he grew out of it……… Atomic batteries to power Turbines to speed Roger, ready to move out. Now, years later, his wife, step children and grandson look forward to the same day. The Courtade Costume Classic 5K and 1 Mile Kid’s Run is a fun little race that helps the Courtade School make improvements with out dipping into the tight budget or taxing the tax payers. This year’s event was the kick off to a paved running/walking trail that will closely follow today’s route. The when I got up today, there was the pitter patter of little rain drops all over the place. A degree or two colder and we would have had snow. The wipers and heat were on all the way to the school, just east of Traverse City. The rain/cold combination kept a number of fair weather runners home with the remote. As the 9:30 start time came near. The rain let up. For this time of year, it was pretty close to IRCI felt out of place not being in costume. Instead, I wore a black ribbed Batman tank to and black running pants. I ran into Kris and Greg before the race and about 30 of us lined up for the start. The race began right on time. It was a fine cross country 5K. Kris and I kept each other company most of the way. Much of the autumn leaves colored the ground and we had to watch our step on the sharp turns as they were slippery. Then we ran through a field. It was wet but very fun. Then we ran down a steep hill. The up side wasn’t so bad. We ran along side a horse corral. The wet conditions and the electric fence caused the voices in my head to make a lot of chatter. Though they have good ideas, the fact that this was a race encouraged me to ignore the mischievous little voices. The course wasn’t exactly an out and back, though we did a small loop and then back the way we came. Kris pulled away and I never did catch back up to her. On the last ½ mile, two women dressed as pumpkins passed me too. Ugh. I finished 8/10 AG in 31:52:76. I had my picture taken with the young man who finished 1st OA. At 10:30, the kids’ one mile race started!!! The age limit was 10, though I think there may have been a few bandits who lied about their age. 100% of them were in costume and they were a riot!! One young lady reminded me of Mariposai. The route to the finish gate was a little confusing to a number of young runners. Many of them wanted to loop again. I stood at the intersection, pointing out the right path. A number of other adults also yelled the directions to the kids. Their focus was impressive. Then there was a little one dressed as a crime fighter. One little guy, who did not look like he was old enough for school yet was bringing up the rear, but he was running with his heart. He went down the wrong path. When directed, he began down another wrong path. As white arrows were painted on the field, I yelled for him to run on the arrows….And he did. He stomped on them as he went over them….Then he started walking on them. I went along side and ran him in. All the finishers got a solid medal. The young guy was catching his breath looking at his hardware. I asked if he won a medal. He smiled and showed it off. I said that he must be a fast runner, he laughed and said “Yeah”. 5Ks are kewl.

Na-na Na-na Na-na Na-na.... Holy costumes, Batman! What a fun race report! Sounds like everyone had a good time. The pictures were a great addition to the report!

Great RR, Steve! Thank you for helping out the young runners.

Nice race and report, Steve. I loved the picture of you with Batman, jr, the picture of mariposai, jr, and the other pictures. It's neat the way you got such a kick out of the kid's race. Those little guys and gals are fantastic. Congratulations. TomS

Hi Steve... If you ask me, this is what running's all about! Wonderful report and even better pics, and a still better cause. Hey...I'm digging out all my old Green Hornet gear and challanging you to a duel... DickyG

Oh no, that is not a throw down challenge in a RR is it? Very kewl report SteveP!

Steve... I'm digging out all my old Green Hornet gear and challanging you to a duel... DickyG

Bring it

Did you ever think you'd be a fashion trend setter in running races, Steve?! I'm sure that kid has been watching you and wants to be just like you when he grows up. Sounds like a very fun day and congratulations on your 5K and not falling down on slippery leaves.

What a fun report to read, and great pics! Thanks for sharing I love watching kids run. It's all or nothin'! Our local semi-pro ball team that plays in the summer - after every Sunday game, the kids get to run the bases. The ball players line up along the 3rd base line and give all the kids high-5's (well, low 5's for the ball players ) on their way to home plate. It's a blast to watch. Lots even try to slide into home.