John Glaser 5k

The John Glaser 5k to benefit SAFE was run on Sunday October 5, 2014. John Glaser was a Shawnee Firefighter who died in the line of duty in 2010. This race was created in his memory. I have completed it a few times. This year I was using it as a gauge to see how I feel before the Chicago Marathon which is next weekend. I ran without my phone so that meant no music, no clock and no gps program to tell me my pace. I cruised along at a comfortable pace that felt like a pace I might be able to run in Chicago. I am not fast and will never run close to my PR of 20:45 in high school and I can accept that. I was pleasantly surprised to see my official chip time was 32:42 which puts me a little over 10:30 pace. I would be thrilled to run that pace next weekend! Anyhoo... here are some pics from the race (some of the pics are pics I took and some are official pics taken by a photographer hired by race committee):



Shawnee Fire Dept, Police Dept and Med-Act were on hand:







Pre-race ceremony was in front of the Fallen Firefighter and Police Officer Memorial:











Flags and Firetrucks flanked the finish line:













John's family including mom were on hand and participated in the race along with firefighters from Shawnee and surrounding departments. Several firefighters participated while dressed in full bunker gear. Impressive! :





Some finish line photos to prove I actually ran the race. I couldn't quite catch the person in front of me. She saw the finish and took off for it!

The company I work for was a sponsor of the race. Here is the shirt. Sponsors are listed on the back.

 

And lastly, this is firefighter John Glaser's locker. I know a few Shawnee firefighters and they still think of John often. I am honored to be able to participate in this run and help support SAFE. RIP John.

I couldn't help but think of Bryan Pottberg while doing this run. Bryan died in the line of duty while participating in a diving drill with Lee's Summit Fire Department on July 15, 1999. I knew Bryan through a mutual friend. I will always remember his smile and quirky sense of humor! RIP Bryan.

And of course, how could I not think of Nico Cruz while doing this run. While Nico didn't die in the line of duty, he was a firefighter with KCFD and sorely missed by many. I hope and pray fire departments will work harder to protect their people not only in the line of duty but also off. Help is available for those who may be struggling with depression, ptsd, suicidal ideation or other mental health issues. End the stigma and reach out to each other! RIP Nico.