People were up and running early Saturday morning for the fourth annual True Life Run as a part of this weekend’s True/False Film Fest.
People gathered around Flat Branch Park, where participants signed in and received their official T-shirts for the race. The entry fee was $25 for the race, the T-shirts and breakfast at the conclusion of the race.
Runners huddled with friends and drank coffee prior to the race in temperatures hovering around the 20s. Despite the cold temperatures, people were upbeat and excited for the True/False festivities.
Participant Deborah Thomas wouldn’t let the cold temperatures keep her spirits down.
“I have been waiting a long time for this weekend,” Thomas said. “I traveled two hours for this and I’m not going to let weather ruin this weekend for me. I’m excited for this race, it’s the first time I’m participating.”
The True Life Run features some twists and turns not usually seen in traditional races. At Lowry Mall, runners had to hop through “Ultimate Hopscotch,” which consisted of circles of chalk.
Following the hopscotch, there was a short obstacle course where runners had to plow through piles of newspapers.
At Jesse Hall, volunteers tried to tag runners with foam noodles. If successful, the runner would have to wait 10 seconds before continuing the race.
After crossing through the columns, a volunteer wearing bunny ears would give a password to any runner who succeeded in catching her. The password would reduce their final time by 10 seconds.
For MU freshman Ian Meyer, catching the volunteer with the bunny ears was his favorite part of the race. This marks the fifth year Meyer has attended True/False festivities.
“I feel okay,” Meyer said. “I’ve never run a 5k race before, but this was a lot of fun. I think I can make it for the rest of the day, I’ve got some films to watch.”
Columbia native Derek Carls also was participating in the race for the first time. He had a positive review for the race as well.
“I’d give it a 10 out of 10,” said Carls. “It had some wacky obstacles. It was easily the most amazing 5k I’ve ever done. Now it’s time to see some movies.”
Some traveled from afar for the festivities. Miki Martin, a native of Jackson, Tenn., drove hours to visit a friend in Columbia.
“It was nice to get a good workout in,” Martin said. “We saw three movies yesterday, it’s been great. This is my first True/False Film Festival, and I’m loving it so far.”
Despite the cold temperatures, the runners and volunteers alike seemed to soak up the friendly atmosphere of the festival. People were warmed up by the conclusion of the race, laughing and sharing in the good times with friends and relatives.
Many of them planned on seeing some films later in the day.