'Run the Great Lakes' this Sunday in support of ARCH, hospital foundation

Jason and Marnie Thomson weren’t sure what they and their three kids were in for.

A year ago, they had only heard about the "Run the Great Lakes" the day before — but they showed up ready to run, without any training or expectations.

“Our youngest, JJ, who was five at the time, ran the 2K," Jason said in a news release. "The rest of the family ran the 5K. We weren’t really prepared, but the kids loved it. They thought the snacks, the kid’s activities and the water sprinklers at the end were awesome. We all had a great time."

Angela and Emmett, aged nine and 10, crossed the finish line ahead of some of the grown-ups.

“They were really proud. Now we’re all excited and training as a family. All five of us going to do the 5K this year and we did some practice runs this weekend. The kids’ goal is to lead their age groups. We’re working on not sprinting right away and having a steady pace.”

While the family is active, Jason and Marnie don’t think of themselves as runners.

“When you have a young family, it’s hard to carve out the time to do things like go for a run by yourself. Now we’re running as a family and it’s turned into something we all enjoy doing together.”

Your whole family can have a similar experience at the Run the Great Lakes presented by Cintas on Sunday June 11.

You don’t have to be fast — you can jog or even walk your way to the finish line while supporting both ARCH Hospice and Sault Area Hospital Foundation.

The cost to register is $40, which includes your numbered bib and qualifies you for division race prizes.