Colton Run Club’s Debut Race Held Without Finisher Medals Amid Budget Constraints
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Photos by Daphne Marquez: Participants race to the finish line after a straightforward 5k run.
As the morning sun rose over Colton on Saturday March 7, runners laced up their shoes and gathered at the starting line for Colton Run Clubs 5K Race. The inaugural event kicked off at 8 AM, inviting community members of all ages to participate.
The course both started and finished at Cooley Drive on Old Ranch Road. The registration for the event was completely free, early participants were given t-shirts while everyone who finished the race was awarded with wristbands after finishing.
After the race participants were also met by the Miss Colton Princesses, Teens, and Miss Colton where they handed out bowls of oranges and water to beat the heat. Coltons Lions Club was also in attendance, running the registration stand and giving out numbers to participants.
The Run Clubs first race proved to be a struggle in terms of finances, although t-shirts had been made, there wasn’t a large enough budget for medals.
Colton Councilmember John Echevarria said, “The shortage was because of sponsorships. The race was free so we were behind already with that, with the sponsors that did help out we were able to get t-shirts, but we ran out of funds.”
The Run Club has been ongoing, having meets every two weeks on Sundays at 7:30 AM at Cooley and Davis Park in Colton. Echevarria said, “This is an idea that I had for many years. I love running and I like participating in things locally so what better way to do it than bring in my love of running with the community.”
With the Colton Run Club having hundreds of participants in its inaugural race, sponsorships are more likely to come if the Run Club continues to hold races in the community.
