Cedar Rapids race a July 4th tradition

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids residents can expect a festive flooding on the Fourth of July.

A flood of runners, that is, when the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids will be swarming with more than 1,900 runners, their families and friends Friday for the 29th annual Fifth Season 8K.

'It's as red, white and blue as you're going to see,” race director Colin Flynn said. 'You're going to be surrounded by a lot of flags, and it just feels like the Fourth of July.”

Dave Beastrom of Cedar Rapids has been running in the event since it began in 1986. He said what started as competition with himself has transformed into a family tradition.

'I tried to get good around year 14,” Beastrom said. 'But I got married and now it's become a family event for us every year.”

The Fifth Season 8K races bring in elite athletes, and Flynn said there could be a record in the women's 8K. He said Cynthia Limo of Lansing, Mich., has a good chance of eclipsing the course record set last year by Diane Nukuri-Johnson of the University of Iowa. He added, however, that it's unusual to see records broken because of the extremely strong fields of the past.

New name, same look

The Fifth Season races (there's also a 5K and children's races) has a new sponsor in Health Solutions.

'Their main goal and what their business is all about fit with our race really well,” Flynn said.

Health Solutions works with clients to promote wellness within those companies.

Flynn said the Fifth Season races, with the help of Health Solutions and other sponsors, Corridor Running (formerly the Cedar Valley Running Association) and the USATF, are helping to promote fitness and running within the community.

Having Health Solutions on board for the 29th running of the race helps take this year's prize money purse to $3,148. Because of paper work and tax considerations, the prize money is kept below $600 for the male and female winners, who will receive $599. Cash prizes are awarded through seventh place.

In its early years, the Fifth Season race handed out nearly $7,000 in prize money, which helped lure a strong field of elite runners.

In recent years however, the atmosphere has been transformed into more of a 'get together” type of event for families and recreational runners, rather than an elite running event with big checks for the winners.

'The prize money was always a factor, but more than anything now it's become a tradition in Cedar Rapids for people,” Flynn said. 'It's a thing to do on the Fourth of July with their families.”

Flynn said bringing in names such as American runner Bill Rodgers, a four-time Boston Marathon champion, in years past helped put Cedar Rapids and the Fifth Season race on the map.

Meanwhile, for Beastrom, who has seen the race take many turns through its nearly three-decade history, one thing keeps bringing him back.

'It's something that my kids and family can do, and I always say ‘hi' to them as I run by them,” Beastrom said. 'It's become a family event, and that's why I love doing it.”

l Comments: stephen.koenigsfeld@thegazettecompany.com