Race Info
Graduation 5K Saturday, September 7, 2024, 8am at Hope Church, located at 8500 Walnut Grove Rd, Cordova, TN 38018.
Walkers - the groups that have been meeting at Hope Church and will ONLY WALK the race and receive their own awards! Be sure, if you are a WALKER, that you only walk the entire race NO RUNNING allowed for the Walkers group.
Runners - anyone who will run during the race, even if they take walk breaks - are not officially Walkers and will go to the Runner's finish line. This includes the Beginning Runners, Intermediate 1 & 2 and Advanced.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE GRADUATION 5K (PLEASE PASS ALONG TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TAKING PART IN THE PROGRAM)
The Race location is Hope Church, located at 8500 Walnut Grove Rd, Cordova, TN 38018 on Saturday, September 7th at 8am. Be sure to arrive early so you have time to get your race bib, visit with your friends and find your group!
Please pass this along to all your friends/family that may not get the emails.
HOW DOES EVERYTHING HAPPEN ON SATURDAY?
Plenty of parking is available
When you get in line you will receive a square Bib with a number printed on it. Be sure to pin it on the front of your shirt in all four corners (pins will be supplied).
AS A BEGINNING RUNNER: Last year there was a bit of confusion due to the fact that there is a Walking Group in the Women Run WALK Program. If your practices have been at the BMX track, you are a Beginning Runner. If your practice was at Hope Church, you are a Walker. If you RUN any part of the race - one minute, two minutes - any combination of walking and running - you are considered a RUNNER - runners sometimes walk during races. This includes BEGINNING RUNNERS, INTERMEDIATE 1 & 2 AND ADVANCED, ANYONE WHO TRAINED AT SHELBY FARMS OR BY THE BMX TRACK.
WALKERS - those who will walk the entire race - NO RUNNING - will have a separate line for getting your goodie bags and your Bibs. IF YOU TRAINED AT HOPE CHURCH, YOU ARE A WALKER.
WALKERS WILL HAVE DIFFERENT COLORED BIBS so that you can be sure to get credit as a Walker. Walkers have their own trophies and do not have to compete against Runners! We want to be sure you have a chance to get your awards! :-)
ALL PARTICIPANTS: This Bib will be your identifying number when the race photos are published online. These pictures will be available for you to purchase online through an outside vendor. You will be notified via email when they are published. Be sure to keep the bib after the race or remember the number or you will not be able to find your pictures very easily.
WEAR YOUR TRAINING SHIRTS TO THE RACE!!
There is NOT a race-day t-shirt; your training shirt is your official WRWM shirt.
Please be aware that there are no dogs, kids, headphones, roller blades, strollers, parakeets, Tobacco spitting or other actions/items that could harm/affect you or your fellow participants.
Friends and Family are welcomed and encouraged to come out and cheer you on - but only Participants on the Race Course, for participant safety, Thanks!
If you have any questions, be sure to contact your Head Coach
If you don't know your head coach, look them up here
Course Description
The runners start in the parking lot north of the building and children's play area, near the handicap parking and proceed east and south unrestricted around the new sanctuary portion of the building and turn right (west) to run south of the building to the main north south drive where they turn left (south) and take the shortest route to Walnut Grove where they turn right (west) to Walnut Trace where they turn right (north) and proceed past MILE 1 to the end of the street where they enter the park. About 100' into the park the runners turn right and follow the walking trail loop in a counter clockwise direction. The runners continue around the outer perimeter of the park past the Bruins Trace entrance and take the path toward the parking lot just before they get to the playground. They continue along this path, head west on the south side of the parking lot and turn right (north) at the entrance/exit drive to Trinity Rd. At Trinity Rd they turn right (east), pass MILE 2 and continue to Ericson where they turn right (south) and proceed back to the church service drive where they turn right (south) and continue along east of the steel tower lines past MILE 3 to the FINISH near the handicap parking area west of the Chapel.
HERE IS SOME BASIC RACE ETIQUETTE INFORMATION, taken from www.runnersworld.com
Race Etiquette
Every runner has had an awkward "First Race" experience. Here are some tips to make your entrance into the race scene a smooth one.
By Hal Higdon
Published 08/28/2001
Every beginner's first race is a special moment. There will be other running highs as you continue in the sport, but do your best to enjoy your first 5-K as much as you can.
You may feel out of place the first time you appear at a 5-K race. This is natural. It happens whenever we do something new and don't understand the rules.
Rest assured that every other runner participating in the event has had a "First Race" experience. They didn't know what to expect the first time they walked into a gym full of runners, but they learned fast. Here are a few tips:
PLAN WHAT TO BRING: Most runners like to plan what outfit to wear, including shoes. Lay your gear out the night before, so you don't forget anything, especially not your race number. Plan for all kinds of weather. Most runners come dressed to run, but you might want to bring some extra clothes for post-race activities.
PIN YOUR NUMBER ON THE FRONT: In track meets, athletes often wear numbers on their backs; in road races, they wear numbers on the front. Bring a couple of extra safety pins to make sure you can secure your number on all four corners.
ARRIVE EARLY: Since this is your first race, you might as well enjoy the total experience and not feel rushed. Arrive at least 30-60 minutes before the scheduled race start. Allow time to pick up your number, warm up and visit the toilet. (The earlier you arrive, the shorter the lines you'll encounter.) Watch what other runners do, and do the same. When everybody starts moving toward the starting line, that's your cue too.
START IN BACK: Don't make the mistake of starting near the front, otherwise you'll spend the first mile watching everybody run past you. Start toward the back. People are cheerier in the middle of the pack, since their goal is usually only to finish, not run fast. You may lose some time crossing the starting line, particularly in big races, but time isn't important to you in your first race--or shouldn't be.
PACE YOURSELF: One reason for starting in back is to avoid running the first mile too fast, either because of enthusiasm or because faster runners pull you along. Once you cross the starting line, settle into your normal training pace--or run even slower. You'll enjoy your first race more if you run comfortably and see what's happening. Save personal records (known as PR's, by the way) for later races.
Happy Trails!
