Chamber Chat
Arriving a little bit later than usual, it is finally GLOW RUN WEEK for us at the Chamber! That’s right, the Annual 5K Glow Run is still happening, even in the midst of 2020.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Glow Run, the 5K Fun Run begins in Downtown on Hiram Street and makes its way over to the Atlanta Primary School where it loops around and runners finish by returning the way they came. Our team makes every effort to have some type of lighting element along every section of the race route, and this is no easy feat! Mostly battery powered or solar powered lights are used since the large majority of the route has no power access.
As dusk falls, our race team begins switching on all the power buttons and making sure everything is ready to guide our participants along the route! For the competitive runner up front, we provide a lead car to demonstrate the route they should take. Since the Glow Run is considered a fun run, we have a broad spectrum of ages and fitness levels, so there is also a tail car to make sure everyone makes it safely across the finish line.
As the race director, one of the most fun things about the Glow Run is seeing how creative the participants get with their themed enthusiasm. Saturday night, October 24th, Downtown Atlanta will welcome walkers, joggers and runners of all ages clad in neon, reflective, LED, glow in the dark and all varieties of “GLOW” gear! In years past, we’ve seen a lot of blacklight reactive tutus, neon face paint, jogging strollers adorned from top to bottom in glow sticks, and even a full-sized light saber one year! No doubt about it, the Glow Run has a contagious energy!
Usually presented in early October, this year’s event is just one week before Halloween night, so we have added a little themed fun with our brand new “Monster Mile” – a one mile costume run that will take place just before the actual 5K. Anyone of any age is welcome to run the Monster Mile, but only family-friendly costumes are encouraged. Each participant of the Monster Mile will earn a special goody bag filled with candy and glow goodies!
Since the event is annual, many of our participants come every year. With this in mind, we always try to add a little something new and different to our course to keep things visually interesting and keep our participants coming back again and again to see what’s new! We’ve built black light tunnels, floating glowing “clouds,” a glowing graffti wall, lighted curtains and many other things over the years. This year, we’ll have something brand new with a bit of a Halloween twist! Participants can be reassured though that nothing TOO scary is waiting for them!
The 5K Glow Run has held a regional draw each year, with runners participating from out of town and even out of state at times! It’s a fun way to bring people in and show them that a small town can pull off something pretty cool even on a humble budget.
Like most of our events, the Glow Run thrives on volunteers. We would love extra help, and anyone interested in being a part can contact us at Miranda. johnson@atlantatexas.org!
Registration for both events will remain open through race-day although late registration pricing will go into effect for the 5K Glow Run (Monster Mile will not see a price increase.) Forms can be picked up at our Chamber offce or online registration will be open through October 21st (today) at www. runsignup.com/letsglowforarun
Our Quote of the Week is: “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” -Maya Angelou