The Start2Finish 5K Run for Change is the largest children’s run in Canada and takes place annually at the end of May, and marks the conclusion of the Running & Reading Club program for the year.
Start2Finish website here
Team Running Free is a partner with Start2Finish and it is a privilege to volunteer for this event each year.
I am a road runner and try to learn something new with each race I participate in.
With this event, I learned something new as a volunteer — don’t fill the cups too early!
I was asked to crew the one and only water station in the 5k race. We were expecting 600 thirsty little runners on this hot humid day so proceeded to prepare the water station and fill the cups approx 30 mins before the start of the race. Unfortunately, the race start was delayed by one hour! and we soon noticed the tables were filled with water!! Where was the water coming from? Apparently those wonderful paper cups — you know the ones we love to grab as runners when racing because we can squeeze the tops and sip from the cinched corner — well they are just paper people and when paper gets wet it gets soggy and saturated and the water doesn’t stay in those little cups that we love! So we lost a bunch of those paper cups to a sad soggy death.
We got through the race but unfortunately ran out of cups towards the last batch of runners so ended up holding up the big water containers and letting them drink from the air as the water ran from the spout — the kids didn’t care; they just wanted a drink.
It was great to see these young athletes out there doing their best — for most of them it was the first 5k then have ever run. It was such a tremendous achievement for them hearing the crowd cheer as they came into the stadium at York U and run the last 100m on the track and cross the finish line.
Congratulations to all the kids!
