Most of you know by now that I consider myself a runner, and as part of the Webster Village Runners, I run every Tuesday night with a group of fellow running and walking enthusiasts. (We meet at Ploty’s. Join us!) I like to feature this group in my blog every once in a while, because it’s just a terrific bunch of people, and I have so much fun with them.
Occasionally we participate as a “team” at different races around town, and today I’d like to highlight two recent ones.
The first took place last Friday afternoon Oct. 17 at the Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp in Rush. Sponsored by the Rochester Rotary every year, it was called the Trail Mix 5K and Beer Fest, and took runners along wooded paths and walkways for three miles through and around this beautiful facility. And true to its name, after the race, runners were treated to a real festival, where perhaps a dozen Rochester-area breweries handed out generous samples of their beers. Plus there was live music and dancing and prizes, old friends and new. It was great.
I signed up for this race in large part because I knew it was a worthy cause, and I like to support worthy causes. I knew a little about Sunshine Camp, which is a fully-accessible residential summer camp for children with physical challenges. But I didn’t know a whole lot about it and was intrigued to think that the property was big enough and wooded enough for an actual 5k trail run. It most definitely was, and I discovered that the trails were just a small part of this incredible camp.
I learned that Rotary Sunshine is a 157-acre camp, a magical place where more than 2,500 children and young adults with special needs come to every summer just to … well, be kids … without worrying about wheelchairs, medications, or being “different.” Along the trails I ran by a tree house, climbing wall, zip line, splash pad, playground, a lake — and an actual TRAIN! It’s like a child’s magical dream, where the most fun things you can imagine are all in one place.
About 120 runners participated that day, ages 6 to 84, and the money raised through our entry fees went straight to support Sunshine Camp. I did OK (not a big fan of trail racing); I took second in my age group and came home with a medal. (Of course, there were only two in my age group.) The post-race music and beer and snacks were excellent.
Well done, Rochester Rotary. I’ll be back next year.
This next Webster Village Runners team event took place just two days later at the inaugural Boos and Brews 5K held at Charles Sexton Park last Sunday morning.
About 160 runners and walkers participated, which was pretty good given it was just the first time it was held in the Rochester area. It was a perfect autumn day and the park was in full color. Runners were encouraged to wear costumes, and there were some really cute ones. And two Village Runners got to put on some ghoul masks and jump out and scare the runners. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Friends of Webster Trails.
After the race, runners were encouraged to meet for some socializing at the Mary Wee Pub, where owner Mark Petzing offered drink specials for the participants (thanks, Mark!). I made some new friends and even recruited a new Village Runner.
It was lots of fun, especially being with my Village Runner friends, and I’m already looking forward to next year.
Here’s a slideshow from the day:
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(posted 10/23/2025)
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