Carter’s Run And Family Fun Fest Recap

I was out of town this past weekend, and as much as I would have loved it, I wasn’t able to participate in Carter’s Run.  If you remember, I introduced you to Carter back in April, and this was the big weekend his family and friends had prepared for all year.  I’m sure they’ve already started thinking about the 4th Annual Carter’s Run!

Carter with his parents Doug and Lisa
(photo courtesy of Mary Jordan)

Since I wasn’t able to attend, several of my MRTT friends stepped up to the plate, taking pictures and writing recaps for me to share with my readers!  Thank you, ladies!

Photo courtesy of Amanda

The following race recap was written by Mary Jordan, Ed.D. Mary’s company, My College Compass, LLC sponsored the Carter’s Run 1K Fun Run.  You can find more about My College Compass, LLC at its website, or by following Mary on Twitter and Facebook.

Mary Jordan and her family (photo courtesy of Mary)

Without further ado here’s Mary’s race recap…

With a gorgeous sky above and excitement in the air, runners and families took their mark as Carter’s Run 2014 successfully raced into the books raising awareness for Dandy-Walker Syndrome.  It was a glorious event well worth the hours and hours of preparation that went into planning each and every detail. Lisa Zimmerman, Carter’s mom, and her team worked for months coordinating activities for the day.

Photo courtesy of Lynn

Starting the day off honoring our country, Sabrina Clark sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. Then, before you knew it, the 10k was underway!  Wearing bright yellow bibs the 10k runners were off hitting the streets of Ashburn and smiling with every stride!

Photo courtesy of Lynn

The 5k runners and walkers waited patiently as the anticipation of their race filled the air.  Families clustered together, friends met up, and first timers jumped with jitters! The announcement was made for 5k run/walkers to take their mark and as a group the collection of people moved to cross the start!  Giggles, chatter, high five’s, and over all encouragement filled the streets as runners and walkers trekked the 3.1 miles to the finish.

Photo courtesy of Lynn

Perhaps the most adorable event of the day was the Kid’s Fun Run!! The newest edition to Carter’s Run, the 1k allowed for even the youngest of runners to participate in the sporting event! The pitter-patter of running feet skipped, hopped, jumped and ran to the finish line. Eyes lite up and smiles grew from ear to ear as 1k Fun Runners were awarded for their accomplishment with a “Finishers” lanyard.

Photo courtesy of Mary Jordan

Photo courtesy of Ashley

Photo courtesy of Mary Jordan

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Another MRTT friend Mary Thorson, fellow Virginia Tech alumna, and speedy mama of four (she finished 2nd woman in the Carter’s Run 10K), wrote the family fun fest recap.  Here are Mary’s thoughts on the fun fest…

Carter’s Run was the most family friendly racing event that I have ever attended. The atmosphere was electric with smiles in every direction you turned. There were kids everywhere proudly wearing their beautiful green race t-shirts, faces painted, with balloon swords and animals in hand, running from the fun bus, to the moon bounces, to the trackless train.

Photo courtesy of Mary Thorson

I unfortunately missed The Great Zucchini show because my four children could not bear to be parted from their activities (I repeatedly kept losing one child to the fun bus – he would never come out!). There were a number of vendors with spinning wheels so that every member of our family walked away with a prize.

Photo courtesy of Mary Thorson

I was blown away by the quality of items in the silent auction (including a Redskins helmet with 30 signatures, a ride to school on a fire truck, and four tickets to Disney World) and the number and quality of the raffle prizes (not limited to restaurant and winery gift certificates and a child’s bike). We even got a photo with Fred Smoot (Washington Redskins) and signatures on our Carter’s Run shirts!!

Photo courtesy of Mary Thorson

All the volunteers were friendly and helpful running this amazingly organized event, which I am sure can’t be easy with that many children to entertain! The first event started at 9:00 am and we didn’t leave until noon! My kids had a blast running in their races but the highlight for my children was playing with Merit, a companion and service dog to a friend of Carter’s with Dandy-Walker syndrome.

Photo courtesy of Mary Thorson

We loved seeing Carter’s family out there being a part of the whole day, participating in the run, sharing their story and working so hard to raise awareness and money for Dandy-Walker Alliance (a 501(c)(3) public charity). It was an honor to be a part of Carter’s Run and our whole family is looking forward to doing it again next year!

• Questions:
• What races have you run that included family friendly events?
• What sports celebrity would you like to meet?
• Who raced this weekend?