2022 Father’s Day 5k Race Recap
For lovers of dad jokes and running, the Father’s Day 5k was the place to be. What started off as a crisp, cloudy morning, soon turned into a sunny day at the Foothills Mall as over 300 participants came out to celebrate all the dads in their lives—whether it be their actual father, their children’s father, or their favorite TV father.
New this year was the Father’s Day 5k’s inclusion in the City of Fort Collins week-end long Juneteenth Celebration. Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture. The three day event had music, food, fitness activities, art presentations, free workshops, and performances.
“It was such an honor to be a part of the Juneteenth Celebration” Green Events Event Coordinator, Kathryn House, said after the event. “It’s a priority for Green Events to promote community activity and being a part of Juneteenth allowed us to do just that.”
A 10-minute pre-race yoga session led by InnatelyU Yoga Studio of Aurora, Colorado got runners warmed up for the Father’s Day 5k and then it was time to line up at the start. Participants were either running by themselves or running on a Father/Daughter or Father/Son team with scores being calculated by their combined ages and their combined race times. Teams had to make the strategic decision on whether to stick together or each person go as fast as possible and meet up at the finish line.
AnnMarie Kirkpatrick of the Front Range Elite Women’s Racing Team won the 5k outright, followed by Ryan Martine and Isaiah Martine who were also the first team (Team November 4 The Win) to cross the finish line. The first place Father/Daughter team was Mikaela and Lon Kendall of Team K25K.
As participants reached the finish area, Ainslie MacEachran announced their arrival where live music, donuts, cold beer courtesy of Odell Brewing Company, and vendors such as Poudre Pet & Feed Supply and Equinox Races waited for their sweaty arrival.
The finale of the event was the Kid’s 1 Mile. At the start line it was clear the children went into the race with different strategies. Some carbo-loaded with donuts leading up to the event, as evidenced by the donut glaze covering their face and the hyper looks in their eyes. Some jostled their way to the front line ready to try and outrun the lead cyclist Chris Howard of Sport About, and some held to the back of the pack ready to pace themselves and enjoy their time on the course. At the finish, all pint-sized runners earned themselves a finisher’s medal.
The Father’s Day 5k benefits the Adaptive Recreation (ARO) and Reduced-fee/no-fee youth programs at the City of Fort Collins. Both programs ensure that anyone, regardless of income or ability, have access to recreation services in order to lead healthy and engaged lives.
Thank you to all the volunteers, sponsors, and participants of the Father’s Day 5k!
To see all results, click here
Thank you to the sponsors of the 2022 Father’s Day:
