The Bele Chere 5K race is considered one of the top 5K races in the country, and also one of the most difficult due to the many hills that the racers must conquer throughout the race course. The overcast skies, cool temperatures and no winds helped the runners to post some near record times. Jensen said, "They were just sprinting at first, and I felt like I was standing still. I am just glad I was able to catch the leaders at the end of the race and win."

Congratulations to Tina Jensen, and to Elly Rono, winner of the men's Bele Chere 2001 5Krace. But what about the other racers, the ones that participated, but did not challenge the champions?

Proudly boasting over 1,300 participants from seventeen states and six foreign countries, the 22nd annual Bele Chere 5K had a number of world-class athletes running in this year's race. Those who finished at the front of this huge crowd are some of the "best of the best." These are people who work constantly and with great diligence to achieve their remarkable and laudable levels of fitness.

But what about the other 1,300 of us (small child in blue shirt pictured above is at the finish line!) who participated, some for the first time? After (finally!) working up the nerve to even enter the race this year, this writer has a new appreciation for those among us who finish closer to the end of the race than to the front of the pack. (Feature writer, Lyn Leslie, is seen crossing the finish line in second picture.)

Participating in a 5K race, for some of us, is like nothing we have ever done previously. Prior to the starting gun, there is almost a festival atmosphere among the runners, something that is perfectly in keeping with Bele Chere's light mood. Some of the more well-trained athletes take their time preparing themselves physically and mentally for the hills and distance that lie ahead; others, the less serious and less well-trained, stand and talk to their friends and maybe stretch a little, perfectly content just to participate. The Army reservists were there, and they ran in formation, chanting the entire race. They also finished with a very respectable time, still in formation (at least, that is what I was told; I was too far behind to see them, much less hear them). Many, many "weekend warriors" were also there, some young and some older, in all shapes and sizes. Most of them finished in the middle of the pack, also with respectable times.

Then, there were those of us as the end of the pack. In fact, most of us in this group just went to the back of the crowd right from the start, in high spirits, but in an effort to save ourselves from the inevitability of being passed by so many others. There were some walkers, most of who were in pretty good shape already, but there were others among us for whom this event was something of a pivotal moment in life. There were people who, perhaps, had survived a heart attack or some other life-threatening crisis, and had made the decision never to be taken by surprise again. Perhaps there were middle-age moms who had put their own health and fitness on the back burner while they raised their families, only to look in the mirror at age 45 to see someone they hardly recognized. Perhaps there were elderly folks who find tremendous satisfaction in still being able to get out there and run, even after all these years. And perhaps there were young people, never the athletes at school, but nonetheless participating fully in what life has to offer.

Whatever the reason, whatever the eventual finish time, the Bele Chere 5K was a terrific experience for most, if not all, runners. The thrill of just being a part of something so big, the genuine encouragement given by onlookers throughout the entire course, and the hearty applause and cheers given to each and every runner, regardless of his or her race time, was sincere - and sincerely appreciated. In fact, I could be wrong, but I really do think that the applause grew louder with each successive runner at the end of the race as we struggled to cross the finish line. (Michael and Rachael Shoffner are seen crossing the finish line in bottom picture.)

Yes, everyone who participated in this year's Bele Chere 5K is a champion, a winner. First place or last, a time of 15:06 or 51:06, everyone is a winner.

Greenville.com urges anyone and everyone who has ever thought about participating in a 5K or Fun Run to go ahead and "take the plunge." Run or walk - or a combination of both - it's fun to be a part of it!

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