A Fun Run with Brain Games
The Durango and Cortez Adult Education Center is delighted to announce our third annual fun run coming in August 2024! The Fast and the Curious is a 5k/10k run that not only celebrates physical fitness but also highlights cognitive fitness. In this way, the race spotlights our dedication to education as well as the irrefutable link between physical health and mental well-being. The run benefits our nonprofit Education Center where our mission is to fill educational gaps by providing the knowledge and skills necessary for living-wage careers, post-secondary education, and social and economic mobility.
How it Works
Competitors in The Fast and the Curious fun run will trace an out-and-back 5K or 10K route along Durango’s scenic river trail. But completing the race is only half the battle! Participants can shave off some of their running time by answering multiple-choice quiz questions that reflect what our adult students are learning.
Quiz topics include high school level math, science, social studies, and language arts, taken directly from our GED practice exams. The quiz also includes questions on the U.S. government that are part of the U.S. Citizenship exam. Correct answers can change the outcome of the race!
You may run fast but can you think faster?
Event Details
Date/Location:
August 17th, 2024 at Santa Rita Park (by the train engine display)
Time:
The race begins at 8:30am for both 5k and 10k runners. Please arrive by 8:00am to check in. The event wraps up by 11:30am after quizzes are graded and prizes are distributed.
Race Route:
Both races follow an out-and-back route, beginning and ending at Santa Rita Park. 5k runners will turn back at Schneider Park and 10k runners will turn around near Memorial Park.
Manned running stations will be available along the route and medical volunteers will be trailing the runners.
Entry Fee:
– 5k Run is $35 (increases to $45 starting July 7th)
– 10k Run is $45 (increases to $55 starting July 7th)
– Kids 14 and under run for free!
Race T-Shirts Available for Purchase:
– Adult sizes $10
– Kid sizes $8
How to Pay:
Registration Fees can be paid online as a donation by going to our secure portal: https://quickclick.com/r/ma6fy
Fees can also be paid by check. Please mail to:
Durango Adult Education Center
701 Camino del Rio, Ste 301
Durango, CO 81301
Please note “fun run” on the memo line.
Registration Deadline:
August 7th, 2024
Race Options:
This fun run features two options designed to suit runners (and walkers) across many ages and ability levels. We welcome cheering squads, runners with strollers, and kids 14 and under run for free!
Any/all race participants have the option to complete the multiple-choice quiz questions to shave time off their race results, however, the quiz is not required.
Finishers’ Picnic and Prizes:
Following the race, competitors are welcome to enjoy refreshments at the Finishers’ Picnic at Santa Rita Park. Friends and family members are invited! In addition, prizes will be awarded for each race, factoring in quiz scores to determine runners’ final time. The best prizes are surprises…but we can tell you that many have been donated by local businesses!
Why Support This Event?
When you register to participate in The Fast and the Curious 5k/10k, a portion of your registration fee will directly support our learning center. Your support contributes to a critical need in our region.
Colorado is the only U.S. state that does not directly fund adult education. This oversight ultimately shortchanges local economies. Adults lacking a high school diploma or English language skills are more than twice as likely to be unemployed and almost three times as likely to live in poverty.
In La Plata county, one in five adults suffer from an incomplete education or language barrier. In Montezuma county, that figure intensifies to one in every four adults. Southwest Coloradans facing education gaps or limited English language skills earn nearly 20% less than their peers. When individuals are better educated, they earn higher wages, further galvanizing the local tax base.
Our program also provides GED classes to inmates at the La Plata County Jail. 40% of all incarcerated adults in the U.S. have not completed high school. Education has been shown to reduce criminal recidivism by 29%. Investing in our Center contributes to a safer community.
Additional Ways to Support
Even if you are not able to participate in the fun run, you can still support this event in many ways.
DONATE
Use our safe, secure online donation portal to contribute any amount that suits your budget. You can also send a check by mail to:
Durango Adult Education Center
701 Camino del Rio, Ste 301
Durango, CO 81301
Please note “fun run” in the memo line.
VOLUNTEER
We welcome volunteers who can assist us on race day! Duties include distributing race T-shirts and runners bibs, grading quizzes, manning aid stations, directing runners, and setting up race day supplies and prizes. We have several roles and time frames available! Select a volunteer position that suits you best! Contact Kirsten at kchesney@durangoadulted.org.
Our Reputation for Excellence
For over 36 years, the Durango Adult Education Center (501c3) has provided GED (high school equivalency) classes and English as a Second Language classes. We support adults in need of basic literacy and math skills, as well as provide pathways to U.S. citizenship for immigrants. Through dedicated career advisement, we steer students into family-sustaining career options and higher education tracks. Childcare, hot meals, transportation assistance, tutoring, and scholarships are all included in our wraparound services.
We are a beloved and lauded local institution. Our Center received the prestigious El Pomar Foundation Award of Excellence in Education in 2005. The Durango Chamber of Commerce named our Center Nonprofit of the Year in 2007 and 2016. Our teachers are award-winning educators and our teaching model guides best-practices in adult education across the state.
Ways to Support the Fun Run
- Run (or walk) the race of your choice!
- Be an event volunteer!
- Donate to this event!
- Become an event sponsor!
Thank You, Local Sponsors!
The Durango and Cortez Adult Education Center is especially grateful to the local businesses supporting The Fast and the Curious 5k/10k, and by extension, our core mission and the broader community!
