Fun run was fun for the whole family

In the dim light of the early dawn Jan. 7, a steady flow of car headlights streamed into and filled the old amphitheater parking lot where the race would start.

Runners and their families, including children, toddlers and dogs, milled about the grounds waiting for the 8 a.m. start.

An astounding 170 people registered for the Friends of Galveston Island State Park’s 5K and 10K Fun Run this year, and more than one-third of them got up well before breakfast to sign up at the site.

The great turnout was a tribute to the dogged organizing of Sheryl Rozier and the FoGISP board of directors. Especially gratifying was the number of families that took advantage of a fun day at the park since, after all, this was one purpose of holding the event.

You can find many photographs on the Friend’s website, fogisp.org. I was able to get shots at the start and finish and to keep ahead of the runners for some snaps along the course.

I’m a doting, old grandparent, so you’ll see lots of kids, especially toddlers. You’ll also get a glimpse of the labor setting up the sunshades the day before and right up to the last minute early morning, setting up and provisioning of the goody tables.

FoGISP is a great group with lots of willing and capable volunteers. It’s gratifying to be one of them. We already have run a newspaper ad acknowledging our fine sponsors and contributors, so I won’t bore you with a long list of sponsor and volunteer names.

The weather cooperated this year. We were without rain for a long period beforehand, so the course was dry and firm, even where the track ran though the freshwater swale band across the prairie grasses.

The morning was cool enough not to generate a sapping sweat, so the runners weren’t straining overly at the finish line. As a spectator, my favorite part of the race was watching the runners pass through a dappling of shade and sunshine as they paced around the semicircle of the amphitheater pond.

For the runner, this stretch had the added attraction of being almost in distant sight of the finish line.

I, personally, want to thank all the runners for dragging themselves and their families out of bed at such an early hour and still arriving at the park with smiles on all their faces.

Even if the day turned out to be so glorious, it still was a task getting the kids pulled together for the trip down to Galveston Island, but all’s well that ends well. And from the looks on their faces, things did turn out well.

It’s a pleasure to see people having fun even if I don’t appreciate having fun punishing myself by running ungodly distances. Thanks, folks, coming out and making the day a resounding and pleasurable success.

Frank Bowser is a member of Friends of Galveston Island State Park.