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By Maddy Breen
I run for many reasons. I’ve always loved the freedom of it, lacing up a pair of sneakers and just taking off on a trail by myself. I run for health benefits. I run to clear my head. I run to challenge myself.
But this past weekend, I found a new reason to run. April 22 marked the inaugural Earth Day 5K in Silver Spring, Maryland, benefitting The Nature Conservancy. Along with 350 other runners, I ran for conservation.
Ready, Set, Go... Green!
With proceeds from the Earth Day 5K going to The Nature Conservancy, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to mix two of my passions: running and helping the environment. When I arrived in downtown Silver Spring the morning of the race, the crowd was already buzzing with nerves and energy. It was contagious.
Pacers Running Stores, the race organizer, had promised to “green” this race and as I began to stretch and warm up, I noticed the organic t-shirts, reusable tote bags and bamboo socks that they were handing to each participant.
A trend is happening in the race world: more and more race coordinators are taking steps to lessen their environmental impact. Take this year’s Boston Marathon for example, a historically un-green race. Organizers bought 22,440 pounds of carbon emission credits to offset emissions produced by the buses used to transport runners to the starting line. Now that’s a step in the right direction.
Pounding the Pavement
Before my nerves got the best of me, the gates opened and we were off running. The 5K course started off in the city, tall apartment buildings surrounding us, but the view quickly changed as we turned the corner and started flying downhill through a quiet neighborhood. I could only imagine what the homeowners were thinking as 350 pairs of feet pounded the pavement past their houses.
As we zoomed towards mile two, the scenery changed again. The trail started to run parallel to Sligo Creek, which feeds into the Anacostia River, then the Potomac River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.
The shaded trail was cool and quiet, and I was just developing a rhythm when I heard the lead runner’s quickening footsteps. He had already reached the turn-around point and was on his way back up the course, his sights set on the finish line.
Those footsteps belonged to my colleague Ethan Kearns, a marketing manager for The Nature Conservancy who has been a competitive runner for more than 10 years. “I was confident I had a pretty wide lead at that point,” recalls Ethan, “but I was worried the huge hill ahead of me was going to slow me down. I just kept telling myself to stay focused. Halfway up the hill, though, I started to wonder, when is this going to be over?!”
The Finish Line
Simply put, this hill was a doozey. Every runner seemed to struggle. But thanks to the cheers of spectators and even fellow runners, we all pressed on and, in the end, Ethan maintained his lead, crossing the finish line first with a time of 16:53. Even Bernie Salazar, from season five of “The Biggest Loser,” couldn’t catch him.
“Winning a race isn’t a feeling you can replicate anywhere else. It’s just pure excitement. And to do it in front of Nature Conservancy colleagues and supporters was awesome,” Ethan said.
When I asked Ethan what’s next on his race calendar, he told me he’s training for the Chicago Marathon in October. “It’s my first marathon,” he replied. “Assuming I make it, I’ll see you back in Silver Spring for next year’s Earth Day 5K.”
Get your sneakers ready.
Maddy Breen is a marketing specialist for The Nature Conservancy based in Arlington, VA.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Brian Knight Photography (Earth Day 5K organic t-shirt); Photo © Brian Knight Photography (Ethan Kearns, far left, and other Earth Day 5K runners); Photo © Brian Knight Photography (Go green! The author and a friend wear matching green socks for good luck); Photo © Dewey Register (Stephanie Flack, Nature Conservancy employee, made it a family affair at the Earth Day 5K).
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