Batavia American Legion to host 'Salute to Service 5K' June 15
The Batavia American Legion Post 504 is hosting a "Salute to Service 5K" on Saturday, June 15, just after Flag Day and just before Father's Day.
It is a way to honor the service of someone from your family. It will consist of a "fun run," a shorter military cadence style run, that will start at 8 a.m. followed by a chip timed 5K run at 8:30 a.m.
Help the local post to celebrate "100 Years of The American Legion," veterans helping veterans and the community.
Money raised will be used to support the post and its activities. You have most likely seen Legion members out in the community distributing poppies during Poppy Days around the Memorial Day and Veterans Day holidays, at a flag raising, performing military rites at a funeral, placing flags at the graves of veterans, delivering gift bags at Christmas for elderly veterans in the retirement communities around town, or presenting a scholarship to deserving high school graduates.
Post 504 can do none of this without the community's support.
For many veterans, physical training is a big part of everyday life, particularly during initial training, but often throughout their time in the military. Running is a great way to measure physical fitness and endurance and group cadence runs also help to build a sense of team.
The cadence not only sets the pace, but helps runners learn to control their breathing, and the words in the cadence are often meant to help motivate the group. The cadence during the fun run will be cleaned up around the edges but still have that feel. It will be a little throwback for those that have served and a special run for those who support veterans.
Cost for the 5K is $35. All registered runners are invited to participate in the fun run. The fun run is open to nonregistered runners that sign a participation waiver and those participants will be asked to make a donation.
You can convert your registration fee into a new annual membership with American Legion Batavia Post 504 if you are an eligible veteran.
To register for the 5K Race or Fun Run, visit bataviapost504.org.
The course will begin at Laurelwood Lodge, 800 N. River St. in Batavia. It is a Batavia Park District building and has limited parking. There will be additional parking available nearby.
The start of both the fun run and 5K will be nearby. For the fun run, they will divide into several groups depending on the number of runners participating. They will head north from the lodge on the Fox River Trail to a turn around at the windmill, then head back south back to the lodge.
The chip-timed 5K will start at 8:30 a.m. and head south on the Eastside Fox River Trail toward downtown and the "Peace" pedestrian bridge where runners will cross the river and head toward the Batavia Historical Society Museum. It will then head on the west side of the Fox River Trail and go north to the Fabyan Forest Preserve. The course will then follow back east on the causeway and across another pedestrian bridge to the Fabyan Windmill and then head south again back to the finish near the lodge.