Fun Run Isn't
/
istockphoto.com
A fun run held Saturday morning failed to deliver even modest amounts of fun, several sources have told Dumb Runner.
Indeed, some participants called the event "the opposite of fun."
Held in conjunction with a local health fair, the Robusta Health Corp 5K Fun Run had billed itself as a "noncompetitive, untimed event," free and open to all.
The run, which started nine minutes late, started in a parking lot behind the convention center and took nearly 40 participants on a meandering and poorly marked 2.6-mile loop that included a bike path, a dirt road, and a sprawling office park.
The run's sole "aid station" consisted of a card table with a gallon jug of water and a sleeve of unopened plastic cups. A partly deflated ballon hung from one corner of the table.
“Hey, guys! The finish is over here!”
As the lead runners arrived back in the parking lot, the lone health fair staffer on hand was searching in vain for a place to hang the FINISH banner, a black-and-white sign printed on 11x17 paper.
"Hey, guys! he shouted at the runners, one of whom had already wandered off. "The finish is over here!"
"Way to go!" he added.
In an email sent Sunday, Robusta Health Corp thanked the runners for participating and apologized for failing to deliver the free T-shirts they'd been promised, blaming a production delay.
The shirts, extra large Hanes Beefy-T's, should arrive in four to six weeks, the email said.
"Thanks again for participating in our fun run!" it concluded. "See you next year!"
