CLEVELAND – Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Cleveland Tuesday to step into the New Year in style.
“It’s a Commitment 5K. It’s a run, walk for people of all ages,” said one of the event organizers, Gary Easter. “You’re seeing 550-something people make a commitment to their health and wellness. That’s very surprising. It’s incredible and encouraging as well.”
Cleveland was one of 30 cities participating in the annual Commitment Day race. More than 300,000 people signed up for the event nationwide, including Willoughby Hills resident Cathy Eagleton.
“It was awesome. I mean, getting up on New Year’s Day after a lot of people went and partied last night, just to come out here and make that New Year’s commitment,” she said.
The course started at the Quicken Loans arena and took runners across the Detroit Superior Bridge and the Lorain Carnegie Bridge. The race finished back at the “Q.”
“This is probably the coldest 5k I’ve run, and just crossing that finish line in the cold, it was a great feeling,” Eagleton said.
Fellow runner Allie Steiglitz, of South Euclid, said the 23-degree temperature and icy roads were an additional challenge on the course.
“Yeah. I say all the ones I’ve done have been in the warmth, so it was a little tough towards the end, but seeing that finish line it was just like ‘I did it.’ It was awesome,” Steiglitz said.”
The weather didn’t slow down some, like Benjamin Safer, the first person to cross the finish line.
“Then when I finally was coming out and turning, I was like, ‘oh my God, I’m going to win this,’ he said. “You know, it was a bit of a shock to myself to be honest.”
Safer, 17, of Vermilion, said he’s had interest in other sports in high school, but the one he eventually stumbled upon was running.
He hopes others are lucky enough to find their interests and pursue them to their fullest for 2013.
“I was just always motivated to go out and try my best and do my best,” Safer said. “I just always go out and do what I can and achieve.”
“If you truly do want to be good at something, you have to be passionate about it,” he added. “You truly have to love it if you really want to be good at it, and I feel like I have found a passion for running. Its lead me to this win today and hopefully many more in the future.”