Families help one another through adventure run obstacles

The Mt. Melas Adventure run, held at Melas Park Saturday, is the Mount Prospect Park District's take on the ubiquitous 5K that countless organizations hold throughout the year.

Inspired by “American Ninja,” the untimed adventure run, which was geared toward families with participants as young as 5 years old, combined a 5K with 12 obstacles including a wood chip pile, the hilly terrain of the park's reservoir, a sandbag carry, an inverted ladder and crawling through tubes.

One could say the event served as a metaphor for family life in general.

“Parents, many with their kids, when they get to an obstacle, they help each other out,” said Ruth Yueill, Mount Prospect Park District community relations and marketing director. “It's super popular.”

There were 250 participants, who left the start line in medium-sized groups at five-minute intervals, and officers from the Mount Prospect Police Department awarded medals at the finish line.