Will run for doughnuts

COEUR d’ALENE — Dave Walker was going for last place in the Coeur d’Alene .5K run on Saturday morning at McEuen Park.

To make sure he got it, he took his time enjoying a doughnut at the halfway point.

“I really trained for this,” the former Coeur d’Alene city councilman said as he walked along. “I got up and had breakfast this morning and put my shoes on.”

Nearly 100 kids and adults turned out for the Sunrise Rotary Club of Coeur d’Alene benefit that also raised awareness of its University of Lake Coeur d’Alene fundraising website where shirts are sold.

The U of Lake CDA, per a banner at the finish line, is “A fictitious Institute of Higher Recreation. “Get The Degree You’ve Always Wanted … From the University That Never Wuz!”

But the .5K run billed as “The Race for the Rest of Us” was the real deal — if that distance is to be taken too seriously, which no one did.

Participants covered about a third of a mile on a paved trail — short enough that no one needed to or bothered to train, and long enough to enjoy the spirit, scenery, sunshine and yes, the midway Krispy Kreme treat.

Early on the jokes came fast and furious about getting ready for Ironman, carbo-loading the night before and saving something for the second half.

Ada Loper wearing a pirate outfit and clearly having too much fun, went out too fast and so about 100 feet into the race, sat down on the grass to take a swig from a bottle.

“I liked that people were having fun and laughing, and that we’re able to bring people out to raise money and have an event that everybody enjoys," she said.

There was no talk of the social distancing or masks or the coronavirus — just folks enjoying a Labor Day weekend morning with friends and family.

The doughnut stand, with water bottles too, was swarmed as everyone was sure to stop and gobble one down. Water bottles generally went untouched.

Mary Ann Garringer of Coeur d’Alene said her training consisted of the walk from her car to the starting line.

“I’m glad there was a rest station halfway,” said Jake Garringer of Coeur d’Alene.

The spirit award, if there was one, would have gone to Rotarian Jessicca Rude. She registered runners at the start, greeted them midway with smiles and cheers while donning the University of Lake Coeur d’Alene’s mascot, “The Fighting Kokanee,” on her head, and then distributing U of Lake CDA T-shirts and stickers at the finish line.

”I love it. This is a great event,” she said. “It gets people out here, it gets people aware of what we can do for the community.”

Paul Hardy and his dog Bink appreciated the race and all the Rotary Club does for the community.

“Whatever we can do to help,” Hardy said, then adding, “the doughnuts were very special and being Krispy Kreme, I think they were everybody’s favorites.”