Let the weather-watching begin: We're now ten days away from Bridge and Dam, and some of you are probably already peeking at the forecast for April 12th. Accu-Weather forecasts a morning low of 44°, partly sunny skies, and an afternoon high of 73°. That's way too nice to be relied upon. (Frankly, I'd rather see a forecast of rain, because a forecast ten days out is almost certain to be wrong.)

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WEEKEND EVENTS FOR APRIL 5 - 6

We have a local run/walk this weekend. The Central Ozarks Medical Center is putting on the Pacing for Patients 5K Color Run this Saturday, April 5th at the Tri-County YMCA in Osage Beach. The run starts at 7:30 a.m.  After the color run, COMC will have a health fair and farmers market from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Scroll down this column to "Upcoming Events" to find out more details  

The weather forecast through the weekend is looking wet and dreary, and even chilly at times.  (Blame it on the Ozark Foothills Endurance Run--ultra races are often cursed with bad weather.)

Elsewhere:

Columbia:

Tim Heinsz 5K10K, Jim Devine Dog Walk, and Bob Bailey Bike Ride, Saturday

Mark Twain National Forest (Brown Branch, MO):

Glade Top Trail Run (1, 4.25 and 10.25 miles), Saturday

Kansas City:

Autism Society's Heartland 5K, Saturday

St. Louis area:   

Ozark Foothills Endurance Runs (100M/100K/50M/50K/Marathon/25K & 25K Ruck), Wildwood, Saturday-Sunday

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RECOVERY ROCKS 5K/10K (posted March 30th)

One of our Lake-area runners traveled to Springfield on Saturday to compete in the inaugural Recovery Rocks 5K/10K, benefiting Better Lives in Recovery.

In the 5K, Glen Kralina of Versailles took 7th overall (of 82 runners), and 2nd (of 7) in the men's 30-39 age group with a 24:46 finish.

In addition to the 82 5K finishers, 25 finished the 10K.  Complete race results can be found here.

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LIBERTY HOSPITAL HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted March 30th)

The Lake area was represented at the 2017 (inaugural), 2018 and 2019 Libery Hospital Half Marathon & 5K races, but never since then, until this year's race on Saturday. Presumably as a warm-up to the Bridge & Dam Half Marathon in two weeks, Jim McDermott ran the Liberty Half, finishing in 2:13:08. That placed Jim second (of four) in the men's 70-74 age group, behind the phenomenal Henri Coeme of Neosho, who finished in 1:38:09.  (That gave Henri yet another Missouri state running record to add to his numerous existing records at various ages for race distances ranging from one mile to 100K.  You may recall Henri from the Rock Island Road Race in Eldon in 2021, where he was the overall winner of the 15K.)

Complete race results can be found here.

Participation at this year's race was down 6% from last year, and extended the trend of declining participation since the peak year of 2020.  Here are the number of finishers, by race distance, since the race debuted in 2017.

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CENTRAL OZARKS MEDICAL CENTER'S "PACING FOR PATIENTS 5K COLOR (posted March 5th)

It's been so long (my search through the archives says about 10 years) since we last had a color run in the Lake area that I'm not sure many of our newer runners even know what one is, much less participated in one. For you newbies, basically it's a 5K run where volunteers along the course and at the finish line toss colored corn starch at you, and you end up looking like a human rainbow. (Color runs died out in the mid/late 2010s, taking glow runs, electric runs, mud runs, and similar, faddish runs with them.) 

If you're feeling nostalgic or want to try your first one, a color run is coming to the Lake. The Central Ozarks Medical Center is putting on the Pacing for Patients 5K Color Run on Saturday, April 5th at the Tri-County YMCA in Osage Beach. The run starts at 7:30 a.m.

After the color run, COMC will have a health fair and farmers market from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.  

For more information or to register for the color run, click here.  For more information about the health fair, visit the event's Facebook page.

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BRIDGE AND DAM HALF MARATHON & 5K/10K (posted March 5th)

We're now just weeks aways from the 2025 Bridge and Dam Half Marathon, 10K & 5K (Facebook page).  This is the largest race--and now, in its eleventh year, one of the oldest--in the Lake area. 

The race will It will be held on Saturday, April 12th, in Lake Ozark.  The race starts at 7:30 a.m.

There are a number of improvements and added amenities over previous years' races, so be sure to visit the race's website to learn about them.

If you can't race, please consider volunteering.  It's easy, rewarding, and helps makes this race possible. Sign up by sending an e-mail to heyguys@fundruns.org.

Online registration is available here. Check out who's already registered here.

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