Undaunted by the muddy course that lay in front of her, Jenny Kelly eagerly awaited the start of the Gladiator Rock’n Run.
Held in Moreland, the annual event, also known as the Mud Run, raises money for autism awareness. Kelly, who talked some friends and colleagues into participating, has a special interest in this race. She is a special education teacher who works with autistic children but she also has “a daughter with autism,” she said.
Kelly also participated in order to train for triathlons and marathons. Earlier this year she competed in “My First Tri,” which was a Lake Lanier Sprint, and the “Peachtree City Sprint Tri.”
Kelly’s Mud Run buddies consisted of brother-in-law Jon Gloer, who teaches U.S. History, Assistant Principal Allen Leonard, Math teacher and assistant football coach Ben Williams, Child Care teacher Hope Via, and Student Information Secretary Angela Goddard. Ingrid Zambrana, who is the mother of junior Jazmin Zambrana, joined them at 8 a.m. on a sunny Saturday in early September.
The 6K run featured 17 obstacles.
“It was certainly more challenging than your typical road race,” said Leonard, who participated as a part of his training for triathlons. He has competed in three triathlons this year, “My First Tri”, “Tri the Mountains”, and the “Peachtree City Sprint Tri.” He also runs, bikes and swims twice a week to train.
Like Leonard, Williams said he did it because it fell into his training for his second Half Iron Man and other triathlons he will compete in this spring.
“We decided it’d be fun if we all got together and did it,” Williams said.
Gloer had a somewhat different reason for competing. “She talked me into it,” he said of Kelly.
Via said “it just looked like fun.”
Williams had the best finish in his group with a time of 40:26, placing second in the 21-27 age group and 10th overall.
Not far behind him was Leonard at 41:02, good enough for second in the 36-42 age group and 12th overall.
Gloer finished next at 51:55 in 100th place overall and fourth in the 50-59 age group.
The women said they weren’t that competitive. Goddard, who said she had fun “laughing and goofing off,” finished her race at 1:13:10:5 with Kelly just behind her at 1:13:10:6.
“It was physically challenging but an absolute blast,” Kelly said. “Tell Coach Gloer that next year, I’m going to beat him. He better watch his back.” He’s not the only one. Kelly and Gloer are already targeting people they want to join in the fun next year like Brent Moseley, Dennis Bogumill, Karen Holloway, Mandy Burnett and Staci Nash.
Zambrana crossed the finish line at 1:13:11 and Via at 1:13:12.
“I was glad to be done,” Via said.
For anyone thinking of running in a race like this, Goddard had some words of advice.
“Train and train hard,” she said.
For more on the story, see the Oct. 11 Prowler.