Piece of History: Festival of Races

Each May in the early 1990s, Cedar Rapids’ downtown buzzed with excitement for the Parson's Technology All-Iowa Festival of Races.

Captured in a striking photo from atop the former YWCA (now Waypoint) building, the men's elite 5K race can be seen running down Fifth Street SE.

The YWCA started the event in 1989, and it quickly gained national recognition. In 1992, it became the first Midwest host of the National Athletics Congress 5K road race championship for women. It even caught the attention of Olympic runner Joan Benoit Samuelson and was named one of Runner’s World magazine’s “75 great road races.”

Race director Marcie Hosch credited this success to unexpected community support, which turned the small event into a celebrated annual tradition.

Though it drew elite athletes, the event stayed grounded, with festivities for everyone, including a pasta dinner, jazz music and prize giveaways for non-competitors.

In 1991, more than 2,500 participants, spectators and volunteers gathered downtown to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Parson's Technology — known for its health and educational software before being acquired by Intuit in 1994 — was the race’s primary sponsor.

The last Festival of Races occurred in 2002 after Waypoint decided there was a “lack of mission” in the event.

Tara Templeman is curator at The History Center. Comments: curator@historycenter.org