Seniors, students alike enjoy mile race at Mt. Lebanon’s Asbury Heights
Taking a leisurely pace along the mile course, Dan Geier and Paul Blake didn’t mind that some others finished it quite a bit before them.
“If you run fast,” Geier explained, “you don’t get to enjoy the scenery.”
They were among the participants in the fourth annual Golden Mile race at Asbury Heights senior living community in Mt. Lebanon, completing their walk in 21 minutes.
“I got a new knee 10 weeks ago,” Blake, an 82-year-old Pleasant Hills resident, said, adding to the other new one he received four years ago. “It works well.”
The race is open each year to anyone who wants to participate. For the past two years, that has included members of the Baldwin High School cross country teams.
“They asked us to come back this year, and we’re more than happy to do it,” said Bunny Schmidt, who coaches the men’s team. “Not only do they get a chance to do a good workout, but they help with the Asbury Heights residents.”
The students assisted residents who wanted to sit along the route and watch the race, and many of them took the opportunity.
They have been supportive of the participants since the first race, which came about as part of an employee wellness program.
“When the residents saw the employees out training, they were cheering for us,” Audrey Burgoon, Asbury Heights senior administrative director and chief of staff, said.
The Mt. Lebanon resident has served as race director from the beginning, and she provides the awards that are given to the top finishers in each age group for men and women.
The awards come from her own stash, as Burgoon has won a large number of medals as a competitive runner.
“We put a sticker on top that says ‘The Golden Mile,'” she explained.
In the past decade, she has run 74 marathons or half-marathons.
“And I never ran a race before that,” Burgoon said.
She has gotten to know Rich Wright, Baldwin cross country women’s coach, through various races and invited him to bring his runners. Among them is junior Casey Conboy of Whitehall, who crossed the finish line first this year, with Schmidt timing his mile at 5 minutes, 28 seconds.
“It’s fun. It’s nice to have a quick race,” Conboy said after the race. “It’s also good to help everyone here.”
Geier, a former competitive runner who is trying to get back into it following a health issue, is glad he had the opportunity to participate.
“I’ve been trying to get out here for four years,” he said. “This is a great community event.”