The Shake, Rattle, and Run 5K at Westminster’s Orchard Town Center brought nearly 300 runners and walkers out for its inaugural year. That is a big turnout for a first year event. It was put on by Centura/St. Anthony’s Hospital and benefited St. Anthony North Hospital’s Program Support Fund. Registration was $25, but family discounts were available.

Registration and packet pick-up were kind of a mess and resulted in the race starting 15 mins late. You had to go through one line to pick up your t-shirt and then get in another line, right beside this first line, to pick up your bib and chip. Race day registration was a third line. All of the lines had long lines. It wouldn’t have been that frustrating, but some of the volunteers at the tables just sat there without doing anything instead of going to assist another who was backed up. The shirt was a standard white tee with the race’s logo, nothing special. Everyone also did receive a St. Anthony’s toboggan though – I love to use these as throwaway hats that I can wear to a race’s start and then toss off. Rather than the usual white tee, the race might actually consider having a fleece toboggan embroidered for something unique going forward.

The course was one big loop around the Orchard Town Center complex, part road, part concrete bike path, followed by a second smaller loop. The miles were marked accurately. The event was chip timed. The course was flat, but had a lot of twists, turns, and curves to it. The course was marked well though with cones and arrows and it was easy to pick up each turn. Music played at the start, the finish, and at some points during the race depending on where you were within the mall. There was a water stop at the 2 mile mark.

Post-race is really where the race really shined. Awards consisted of sponsor donations and there were lots. Lifetime Fitness, Orchard Town Center, Nascar jackets, NOS Energy Drink, Origins, etc. Awards were given for top overall runners and for costumes. There was a lot of Vitamin Water and Powerade available post-race, REI Nalgene water bottles, energy drink, and various other freebies.

Results were posted online timely later that afternoon.

The race was pretty good for a first year event with a very nice turnout. Going forward, I would advertise the prizes, sort out the registration issues, improve on the race shirt and logo, and encourage more of the shopping center’s businesses to donate items to the race. This was the first time I’d been to the complex and the race is a nice way to introduce folks to the center’s offerings.