Our World Mental Health Day 5K served as a wrap-up to our #StigmaFreeTXST campaign and an opportunity for the San Marcos community to show support for mental health awareness.
Thanks to everyone who helped make our first-ever TXST 5k Walk/Run a success! If you weren’t able to make it, here’s a quick rundown of how it went:
Just after 5 p.m., folks began trickling in to the west campus fields with their running shoes and TXST 5K T-shirts, ready to show their support for World Mental Health Day. After some light stretching and chatting with the well-being vendors in attendance, we were treated to a flash mob zumba session courtesy of Wellcats! What better way to warm up for a 5K marathon?
Energized from the rhythmic grooves of the Zumba music, over 100 racers took their mark at the starting line, ready to take on the twists, turns, and hills of the 5K route which weaved through the San Marcos campus and back.
At 6 p.m., at the sound of a high-pitched air horn, the runners were off! Some ran, some jogged, and a few brave souls even sprinted (though not for long) across the 5K route with TXST UPD and Environmental Health Risk & Safety Management riding along in golf carts and ATVs as escorts.
As the sun started to set over the hills, the first racers started to cross the finish line with feelings of pride and accomplishment (and probably some soreness). Free snacks and drinks were handed out for runners to replenish as the top performers posed with their medals in celebratory fashion.
A special thank you to all of our campus partners, vendors, and sponsors who helped make this event possible! Head over to our TXST Mental Health 5K website for more photos, a list of top performers, and a cool recap video. Visit our #StigmaFreeTXST website to learn about available mental health resources.