Annual 5K Fun Run a hit with alumni, community

On Saturday, September 29, Rose-Hulman held its annual Rosie’s 5K Fun Run/Walk Homecoming event. This year’s race was quite successful attracting approximately 60 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Rose-Hulman. Sponsored by the Alumni Affairs Office, the run/walk traditionally takes place the morning of the Homecoming football game. This year’s event began at 8:30 in the morning at Cook Stadium. During the run/walk, participants followed a winding trail through campus to allow alumni to view both their remembered landmarks as well as Rose-Hulman’s new additions. The participants in the run/walk were quite diverse including people of all ages, backgrounds, and even some from other countries. Daniel Abicht, a 2003 alumnus from Berlin, Germany stated, “It’s a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, so why not go out for a run?”

The event was planned and staffed by Army and Air Force ROTC students. The students also marked the trail, registered participants, and passed out snacks and event t-shirts. One of these students, sophomore chemical engineering major Alison Dunlop explained, “It is a memorable experience to wake up in the morning and take a run in the brisk autumn air with the alumni and the memories that surround them.”

Director of News Services Dale Long is a Rosie’s 5K veteran. He commented, “It’s good to get up early, get the blood flowing, meet people, and my goal is to at least beat a Rose student.” He went on to explain that the event started about seven or eight years ago with a few alumni walking through Hawthorn Park. Recently, the event has attracted more participants and most of these participants run instead of walk. Last year, the event was moved from Hawthorn Park to Rose’s campus to allow alumni to spend more time on campus.

Completing his third Rosie’s 5K, mechanical engineering professor Patrick Ferro is also an aficionado of the event. “This is one of my favorite activities at Rose. I love doing this race. It’s my favorite Homecoming activity.”