Where: Xavier High School, 6300 42nd Street NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52411
Distance: 5K, 10K (2 loops with a little extra)
Description: We welcome people of all ages and abilities to celebrate this tradition with us as part of the annual Sweet Corn Festival weekend.
The 5K race course begins at the school, east on 42nd, north on police-secured Ushers Ferry Road, up North River Blvd to Aegon, through the parking lot, and cruises down 42nd to finish back at the school.
The 10K is ~2 loops of this, with the 2nd loop starting at the corner of 42nd and Usher’s Ferry Rd.
Website: For more information, visit the website.
Contact: Julie Johnston – email: jjgo262@gmail.com or call: 319-550-4980
Results: 2011 10K Run, 2011 5K Run, 2011 5K Walk, 2009 8K, 2009 5K, 2008 8K, 2008 5K, 2007 8K, 2007 5K,
Stacy,
I really appreciate your support of the Kernel’s races and your feedback–Thank You!
There are always improvements to be made & this year (2012–the 29th year of our event!) will certainly be no exception as I learn more and more every year.
To address your comment about the chips, I must say, you are exactly right in regards to the fact that the line to pick them up was WAY too long! This was an error solely on MY part, as I should have realized the back-up that picking up chips that morning would create & had at least 6 more volunteers helping move this along more smoothly. We still plan to hand out the chips, however, the morning of the race again this year (Aug. 11th 2012). This practice may not seem to make sense, so let me explain.
In the past, the Cedar Valley Running Assoc. (who provided our timing chips & services, & of which I’m also an active member), has learned that handing out chips the DAY OF is the best practice with the current registration system of paper & online registering. WHY?
Even with online registration & especially with paper registrations, we don’t have open access to their credit cards numbers (or proof that they are active accounts), so if they don’t return their chip, we have no way of forcing a charge, and, trust me, you would be astonished at the # of people who don’t understand this importance nor care, and simply don’t pay any attention to email or snail mail requests we send them to return their chip! The CVRA has lost many chips in this costly & frustrating process. If we only hand chips out the morning of the event, then that alleviates the danger of losing the chips from the registrants (or friend/family in their place) who pick up their packet the day before, but, for whatever reason, not show up the day of the event….or “lose” their chip sometime in between.
Our race is not a large half or full marathon where only online registration is offered & we have that guaranteed access to participants’ credit card numbers IF they don’t return chips. Maybe someday we will reach that point of over 500 entrants and online registering will become the only & a neccessary action, thus forcing the extinction of early registration paper forms and day-of registrations (unless we require entrants to put down their credit card info on forms & check them before approving their entry into the event.)
Great comment for discussion!
Hope to see you back this year (Sat. Aug. 11th, 2012) to experience the positive changes!
Julie Johnston
Really enjoyed this race. I thought it was well organized and fun. Post race festivities were nice, as well. Would do this one again.
great race. with doing chip timing this year. would save much time to hand out chips at the same time you pick up your bib and race packet. a LONG line to get chips the morning of the race. The runner is responsible for their chip, so just hand it out at packet pick up. they lost is, they pay for it!
My first time and I see many of the suggestions have been added. Clock at the finish line. course was well marked with volunteers guiding the way!!! fun race, will definately do again!
Tom, Thank you SO much for your feedback! I sincerely appreciate it!
Yes, the course markings we could certainly improve upon (Bob Andresen–director of the Muddy Monster, and I will be working on that again here very soon!) and we lacked the tight communication along the route with monitors and the area radio club-due to an oversight of mine and mine only. (Otherwise the mile time callouts and mile signs would have been correct!)
I do believe I have the very best group of volunteers and the most wonderful family (Bob & his wife, Heidi, and their daughter, Maddie) helping me put this event on. I couldn’t do it without them!
A belated, but still very grateful THANK YOU to you, Tom, and EVERYONE who came out!!!!
This race has changed its location. For those who have run it in the past this change is welcome. The race is well organized. Julie and her helpers did a great job. The race started with the Star Spangled Banner and it was great. Follow a prayer ( you dont get that just every where) we blessed runners were off. The course is concret all the way. It begins with a fair hill and then winds through flat area and then the finish is a mile gentle slope down hill. Thats a fun finish! Because there is a 5K and 10K run at the same time you must watch very carefully as to which turn is your. Markings need improvement. Post race featured great food. Good awards. The message people were there and I never felt so good leaving a race! Mark this one.
Glad I met you last year at Park to Park, Tina! Yes, folks, we WILL have a finishline clock this year at our new site!
That was a fluke mistake on our part last year as Bob & I organized it. We apologize! He and I both know HOW much it means to many runners to have that clock there!–>We need it, too!
I agree with Tina…a clock at the finish line would’ve rocked. I loved seeing the containers for recyling! Everything was awesome…route, organization for packet p/u, snacks, volunteers, ease of parking at the bus barn, etc. Thanks for a really fun event!
This is a great race and I love the course. I think it would be nice to have a big time clock at the finish line.
It’s the 8K runners who have to suck it up for the little bit of a hill at their turnaround.
I have done this race in the past and have gotten some good times (as far as my speed goes). The course is very fast, with one hill at the turn around point. Very well organized.