On a chilly spring morning, 150 pairs of muddy running shoes shuffled up to the starting line and waited for the horn to sound. After days of rainfall, the chilly morning air and the soggy track field did not discourage the participants of Northeastern’s first ever Golden Eagle 5K race.
With an atmosphere of nervous energy and sheer excitement, the April 13 event was a great success, according to the race organizers. “We underestimated the turn out. We only expected 100 participants but 150 people came out and ran,” said Martha Montes, Assistant Director of NEIU Campus Recreation. “No one was hurt, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves,” she said.
Elesabeth Bacherta, another one of the race organizers and an NEIU personal trainer and fitness instructor, was also happy with the outcome of the race. “We had lots of people complimenting us,” she said.
The race circled the NEIU campus two times along Foster Avenue and St. Louis Avenue behind the PE Complex before culminating on the field. Runners and walkers alike were greeted at the finish line by cheering fans, Campus Recreation staff and volunteers.
The winners for the women’s age group under 40 included Kelly Novak, 30, in first place with a time of 21:21.7. She was followed by Lauren Klein, 27, with a time of 23:00.9 and Leslie Hunter, 28, in third place with a time of 25:38.9.
Novak also ranked fifth in the race overall. She explains that she is not new to the race experience. Novak completed the March 2008 Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago in 34:11. After her success in the Golden Eagle 5K, she admits, “I did as good as I expected.”
The winner of the men’s age group under 40 was Servando Caderas, 20, coming in first overall with a time of 19:12.2. Caderas was followed closely by Chad Dschaak, 24, at 19:14.0 and Stavro Alexiades, 20, in third place at 20:43.0.
Cadenas, NEIU junior, said he has also raced competitively in the past, including the Y-ME run for breast cancer last year. He explained that he enjoys the challenge. He said, “Chad [Dschaak] was my main competition. So I kept pushing myself to stay a few steps ahead of him.”
Crossing the finish line only 2.2 seconds off of Cadenas’ heels, Dschaak said, “He was always my benchmark.” He recounts often seeing Cadenas running around the track at the PE complex, so he wasn’t surprised to see Cadenas next to him at the starting line. Although Dschaak had been running for fitness for the past two years, the NEIU 5K was his first competitive race. “I just wanted to see what I’ve got,” he said. “At the end, [Cadenas] just had the guns to keep pushing ahead of me. But I was right there.”
The race winners in the 40 and over age group included the men’s Murray Ardies, 53, at 22:38.0 and Jerry Pendergast, 53, at 23:46.4; the women’s winners were Patty Ardies, 50, at 23:44.1 and Nancy Murillo, 43, at 25:23.5.
Winners received a medal and a certificate. However, not all race participants were concerned with the score board. Runner Katrina Stefanski was just happy to participate. “I am so excited,” she said as she waited for the race to start. Stefanski, 24, is a third year physical education major at NEIU and ran the race as part of a final exam for class. Stefanski coaches girls’ track and field at Holden Elementary School in Chicago. She viewed the race, not only as a class requirement, but as a fun opportunity. When asked about her performance expectations for the race, Stefanski said, “I know I won’t be first but I don’t think I’ll be last. I think I’ll do okay.” She didn’t place first or last.
Other runners used the race as a starting point for their fitness goals. Ameer Eusebio, 24, said, “I’m just doing it for fun and to get in shape.”
The youngest runners at the race included Daniel Garcia, 9, and his sister Virginia Garcia, 12. The duo has competed in several races including the Children’s Memorial run and races at Lincoln Park Zoo. When asked about his 35:21 run-time, ranking 30 out of 44 runners in the under 40 age group, Daniel Garcia shrugged and smiled. He said, “We just had fun.” The children were accompanied by their mother, Pilar Garcia-Rico, who walked the race. “When I was young I would run,” she said. “But now…” she trailed off with a shrug and a smile. “I am proud of them. They are my motivation to be here.”
Awards and post-race snacks were offered inside the PE complex. Unfortunately, one runner was excluded. Runners Erica Sher and Tim Stevens were accompanied by their four-legged running mate, Lily. The dog, that finished the race with an unofficial score of 29:36 alongside Sher and Stevens, was not allowed in the building. Sher said, “It’s okay. Lily likes to run. She usually runs about six miles so this was easy for her.” The couple took turns picking up snacks from the sponsor’s tables inside the PE complex and brought out water for Lily.
The Golden Eagle 5K race provided competition, exercise, fun and camaraderie among the runners. Bacherta explained that the goal of the NEIU fitness programs is to promote health and fitness. She said of runners, “This was one group we hadn’t targeted yet.” She was excited to be among those who organized Northeastern’s first race and expressed interest in organizing more races in the future. She said, “Many people said to me, “‘it’s about time.'”