Mindy Przeor's 2nd Run3rd 5K race report

Submitted by Mindy Przeor, @RaceEveryStep

Any time I take a moment to reflect on our 2nd annual #RUN3rd 5k, I am overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude, love and pride.  When we decided to make this an annual event, I was worried about how our 2nd year would compare to the first. There were so many special things about the inaugural event that we wouldn't be able to duplicate or compare to. We knew our challenge this year would be to keep the momentum going and grow our local #RUN3rd community with the help of our amazing Captains and Loyals from around the world.

Sean Astin and the Brinton families

One thing I'm grateful for is the effect our inaugural event had on our Brinton community. Thanks to the positive experience our crew has last year, our running club doubled in size this year, and we tripled the amount of Brinton community members participating in the 5k. In addition, thanks to our past success and positive reviews, we had a much bigger turnout from other Mesa schools and local community members. It's working: we are reaching more after-school running programs and we can't wait to continue the growth next year!

I have so much love for #RUN3rd and this community that has become our family, and this event magnifies that emotion.  I love that we had 150 kids out there running the 5k, and even more, I love that parents felt safe letting their kids participate. Thank you for creating a welcoming, friendly and safe environment for our kids! I love that we had 400 people come out to participate because they wanted to be there supporting the event (even though we thought Sean Astin wasn't going to be able to make it). Everyone was there for the right reason and some people traveled a long distance to show their support. Thank you! I love that hundreds of people support us virtually from around the globe even though they can't be here in person. Thank you virtual runners—you have no idea the impact you have on all of us! I love how positive the event is. You can see it in the smiles on everyone's faces in the pictures. You can see it in the way people interact with one another and the number of hugs that go around. You can see it in the generosity towards the fundraising effort. And most importantly, you can see it in the group effort to get everyone across the finish line. Thank you for being kind and supportive to EVERYONE!!! And I love that this event means so much to Sean that he makes every effort to join us. It was an awesome surprise when he showed up, despite all he had going on. Thanks Sean!

Mindy Przeor & mom, Marilyn Enloe

This was a super special moment for me with my mom, Marilyn Enloe. Last year's event was her first 5k ever—she walked it with her friend. This year her friend was unable to join her due to a recent foot surgery so my mom came to donut on her own. She cut over 5 minutes off her time and come in 2nd in her age group. Our phenomenal emcee, Richelle Melde, had us tearing up as she spoke about mothers and had me join my mom on the podium.

I'm so proud to be part of the #RUN3rd community and honored to be able to host this event with Kris. We definitely couldn't do it on our own, and truly hope we can continue to make it something you are proud of as well!

Words can't express the gratitude I have for the support we get from all of you. #RUN3rd has changed my life and created an amazing community for our kids to grow up in and learn from! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

#RUN3rd!

❤️ this and greatly appreciate all Bert Jones Photography does for us on race day!!