Richmond Beach Residents Run for Fun

About 300 people and a dozen dogs gathered at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park this morning for the annual Turkey Day Fun Run. With a long tradition, this community event brings the people of Richmond Beach for some camaraderie on the holiday.

Don Wilson had been running with his friends every Thanksgiving morning for about 30 years. Five years ago the Richmond Beach Community Association (RBCA) approached him about making it a community event. The Turkey Day Fun Run was born.

“It has become a tradition," Volunteer Nancy Gustafson said.  “Things like this really bring Richmond Beach together.”

Events like this are how people go from being neighbors to a community. Bringing the people together is the goal of RBCA. The first fun run they expected only a handful of people, 200 showed up. Now the event is maxed out at about 300 attendees.

We don’t advertise, organizer Sheri Ashlemna said. The event only has a few volunteers. “They would be overwhelmed if too many people showed up.”

The volunteers help direct traffic to the parking areas, direct runners where to go before the start and pass out water at the end. A number of sponsers help support the event and there is a box where residents can donate food and clothing to Hope Link. But the heart of the event is about getting the community together.

“We are friend raising instead of fund raising,” Gustafson said.

“Richmond Beach is a friendly neighborhood,” Jerry Girmus said.

Girmus, 74, has been participating since the start. On Thanksgiving, his neighbors join him on his daily walk. His route is about the same as the annual fun run. For Girmus, it is fun to get out and interact with the people in the area.

For Karsten James, it is a chance to reconnect with friends. A student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, the fun run is time for him to get together with friends during his holiday break.

On his third fun run, James arrived early to wait for his friends. He met up with a friend right before the run began and they lead the pack at the start.

After shivering in the early morning chill, everyone was eager to get moving. Kids lined the front and took off running at the start. They were quickly passed by the faster runners. The walkers then followed behind. As a non competitive event, there were no prizes for coming in first so everyone moves at theri own pace. Friends run with friends, walkers talk as they navigate the course. The only prizes were $50 and $100 gift cards donated by Super Jock and Jill for a drawing. Everyone who registered for the run was entered in the drawing.

To keep the “fun” in fun run, there is an annual theme. This year was Hillbilly.

“It is just a fun event,” Ashleman said. “It is good to get the neighborhood out.”