Snow was falling as residents of Cookeville gathered at Tucker Stadium last Saturday morning to run the Cupid’s Chase 5K. The proceeds of the race benefit the local organization Community Options.
Community Options is an organization that provides employment, housing and educational opportunities to the disabled in our community, and this race is the seventh annual fundraiser for the company.
Those attending put on their Valentine’s best as they prepared to spend the next 3.1 miles traveling through the frigid temperatures.
“I really liked that they had heaters,” Tech student Tracie Lamas said. “That was smart.”
Emily Hurst, Lamas’s friend and fellow student, said, “But the snow sucked.
“I’ve never ran a 5K before, and I wanted to inspire myself,” Hurst said in regard to her first place finish in her division. She said the best part about the race was finishing it.
“Just seeing the straight away finish line and being like, ‘I’m there’ and sprinting towards it,” Lamas said.
Students such as Lamas and Hurst were of the many who participated in this charity event. Among the students present, several attended to volunteer for the race. “What an awesome cause,” student Shelley Brown said about supporting Community Options. “That definitely enlightens my volunteering.
“My favorite part about volunteering was cheering the racers on as they crossed the finish line,” Brown said. It seemed as though the finish line was a common favorite throughout the morning.
Was love in the air as the Cupid-themed event took place? Student Logan Hartman said he “hadn’t planned on meeting [a Valentine] there” but would have been “open to the circumstance.”
All things considered, it seemed the chilly temperatures didn’t prevent the race from being enjoyable and unforgettable for those who participated.
