HUDSON SACRED HEART SHS 5K (Hudson - 2021 - 5K)
Registration:
Once again, just like Thurston Woods, there were two race
information websites, RunSignUp and Hudson Sacred Heart’s own parish website. RunSignUp had very limited information but there
were amazing statements in the short paragraph they had that included:
“ At SHS our students learn the importance of being
spiritually, physically, and mentally fit.”
&
“Racers of all fitness levels are welcome to participate,
whether you walk the course or run it!”
(https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Hudson/SacredHeartSchool5K)
I completely agree that overall health is not only physical and
that we need to keep all areas of health in the best shape we can. Physical health is extremely important and
often times helps lift mental health. I know
that on a very personal level. I also
believe anyone that finishes a 5K course is amazing regardless of what their
speed is.
RunSignUp was more of a personal welcome note for the event. The Sacred Heart’s website broke the event
down by its three races, the 5K, 1K and Truckin’ Tots Race. Times and complete descriptions of courses
were listed with a 5K map. Age groups
and prizes were listed in detail. Cost
of each event, timing, location information and a contact for the race was on Sacred
Heart’s website. There was an area with
past results dating back to 2012. Online
registration for the SHS 5k was done through RunSignUp or a printable mail in
flyer.
Packet pick-up was a table at the bottom of the steps leading up to Sacred Heart Parish and School. Spread across the table were see-thru plastic clip-on badges with timing trackers inside. I have not used a timing device that had to be clipped on my shirt or pants before. I have used the shoe timing tags that tie into laces. The clip-on tag really worried me. I thought for sure I would do something to knock it off on the course (Martian Invasion memories of my bib coming off came back). Luke and I were given our race bibs and timing clip-on tags at packet pick-up.
Course:
The course started in front of the Hudson Sacred Heart Parish
and was a really unique shape. We ran
around the parish in a rectangle. We got
to pass and wave to Jason, Ryan and Will in the first five minutes of the
race. They were playing at the awesome parish
playground with a wooden ark! We ran
over Bean Creek on Mechanic Street before running past a beautiful farm clearing. There was a little yellow sign that said, “Onto
Findlay Trail” next to an older man volunteering. The Findlay Trail ran along W. Main Street with
a wide paved sidewalk.
When we made the turn onto Munson Highway we were greeted by two smiling volunteers with a tub full of mini water bottles. We ran past some manufacturing buildings including Kecy Metal Technologies and by the smallest water tower I have ever seen. We passed a Hudson Police SUV before turning onto a dirt road. We were on dirt for a while weaving our way past amazing country homes on big lots. Enthusiastic adults and kids were on the course when we got back into neighborhoods showing us the way to turn. We crossed over Bean Creek a second time. I’ve never ran so close to a finish line and had to bypass it. We ran within 25 feet of the finish line on Giles street. We had to pass it and do a loop around a .36 mile square. I saw everyone standing at the finish line as I ran past them. It was funny. It made for two good cheer spots near a finish when you normally only get one.
Swag:
I almost went home with just a bib from the Hudson Sacred Heart 5K. There were no finisher medals for participants, and we didn’t receive shirts at registration. I was confused why we didn’t get shirts when I saw a whole bunch of shirts behind the registration table. After the run I went back to the registration table and asked about shirts. I really liked the heart logo and bold colors. I found out I had registered too late on May 20th to get a shirt. Luckily, they had an extra shirt in a smaller size. It worked out and surprising fit me. The did not however have any youth shirts left. Luke and I got beautiful heart shaped age group award medals. We did not leave empty handed. There were no freebie giveaways from sponsors.
Food:
The post-race food table had two boxes full of bananas and tons of cookie packs with assorted flavors that were unopened until finishers got to them. There was a tub of mini water bottles on the ground near the table that looked just like the aide station on the course. There were mail in registration papers for the Pittsford Firecracker 5K and 10K in a folder on the table. The Pittsford Firecracker is the next event in the Tri-County Series. The cookies were okay, almost all were eaten by the time we left. I didn’t want to touch multiple cookies. The plastic wrap not being opened on some packs made it difficult. If they had been opened it would have been a lot easier with less likelihood of the cookies being touched by people.
Awards:
The Truckin’ Tots (under four-year-old) race gave all participants participation certificates. The top three 1K boy and girl finishers received ribbons. 5K participants had overall trophies for top three female and male runners as well as three deep in five year age groups starting at 8 and under. I loved that their first age group was 8 and under. It is a very fair age group for young kids. They had a great awards ceremony near the finish line. A group of young girls were so excited when they won medals. The age group medals were amazing heart medals with the race logo on the front.
City Notes:
Hudson was an older town with some amazing homes. There was a farmhouse just outside of town
with a lot of property. It had a cupola
on the second story, amazing oval windows and decorative trim. The First United Methodist Church in Hudson was
built completely of stone. It had a very
cool steeple. The Sacred Heart Parish
had two steeples made out of copper with crosses on top. It was made with a combination of brick and
stone. The Sacred Heart had a cool crypt
down in the basement that’s been since converted to a church community
center. You can see all the older
stonework downstairs. The old archways
have been sealed.
Hudson’s post office was called the “Post Gazette” I have not seen that named used for a Post
Office in any city I’ve been too yet. It
was very tiny with cool red and black paint.
The Hudson Library was another all stone building with a terra cotta roof. There were so many buildings in downtown Hudson
that had cool oval shaped windows. The
two buildings that really stood out to me were Karen’s Uptown Café and T.J
Decker and Associates. The architecture of
those two buildings blew me away. T.J.
Decker and Associates had “B J Steger 1891” written in both of its roof
triangles. Above Karen’s Uptown Café was
the Hudson Masonic Temple. The Masonic Temple
had a great blue, gold and white paint job with so much detailed artistic woodwork. I really liked the details in the building
craftsmanship of downtown Hudson.
When we left the city we found what we think was a giant community compost shed and an awesome farm with American flags. The Sunset Acres Motel was across the street from a church that had awesome flying flags I got a great video of. It was very windy. When we left for home the last thing I got a video of was a wind turbine near the road. I have never been so close to one. They are so large! It was memorizing to watch as it spin at such a close proximity.
City Sign:
Hudson had a HUGE city sign. I was not expecting the sign to be as big as it was. It was awesome! It had an artistic metal gear behind the sign that stood between two large brick pillars. We looked tiny standing on it. It was on a hill by a gas station. It was extremely easy to park and get to. “City of Hudson” was written in a train cow catcher with a gear on top. I loved the writing, “Small Town, Big Heart.” I think that motto describes so many small rural towns across the state of Michigan. I prefer small town runs over big running events.
Other Awesomeness:
I’m always on the look out for farming equipment traveling down
the road at rural runs. In Hudson I got something
even better….
A hay truck cruising down the road!!
I felt like I was in Star Wars driving behind the hay truck as
hay flew out everywhere.
We got to meet pastor Todd Koenigsknecht of the Sacred Heart
Parish after the race! He was a really
nice man that was so grateful for everyone that came out to not only help
Sacred Heart, but to do something good for themselves. I love it when I get to meet race staff, race
directors, and when I race at churches, pastors, priests etc.
When we got onto the dirt road one of Luke’s shoes came un-tied. When he stopped to tie his shoe a lady running
behind him stopped and made sure he was alright. Luke said he had to walk a little after tying
his shoe and the woman stayed with him to encourage him. I was so touched when I heard that. I stopped and tied Luke’s shoe when we ran in
Zeeland. I felt really bad I was ahead
and didn’t know what that had happened until after the race.
We found a dead bat from the belfry! Well… more like the basement when race staff went
to get speakers out for the run….He was so intact it was incredible. One might even say he died smiling…. I had to
take some pictures of our dead bat friend before we left.
When we got back home from the short drive to Hudson we went to
the Marshall Farmer’s Market for the first time and found a lot of vendors that
were awesome. We bought a lot of food
and soap. We have a great Farmer’s Market
in Marshall. We stopped at a craft show happening
at the Calhoun Country Fairgrounds in Marshall.
The kids were given free handmade wood spinning tops from a woodworker
out of Sturgis, MI! When I told the man
and his wife I had just run in Sturgis they looked surprised and told us how
small Sturgis is. I told them all the cool things I had found in
Sturgis and it made them smile. The
craft show was great. They had a lot of
nice things. I left with a funny cicada sticker
for my record case.
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