Eagan parkrun - Event #72 - 10/6/18
The saying “Minnesota Nice” is a very fitting description of the community at Eagan parkrun. As a touristing parkrunner based at Roosevelt Island parkrun in the DC-area (with roots in Florida!), the chill in the air in early October caught me more off-guard than I care to admit, but the spirit at parkrun never fails to warm the heart. The hot coffee before and after didn't hurt either!
At event #72, Run Director Andy welcomed all-comers and made the announcements while barkrunner Gus serenaded eagerly in the background. A few minutes later, we were off to explore the peaceful, meandering course. The overcast sky created a beautiful contrast to the bright colors of the leaves, which were starting to transition to their autumnal glory.
Due to an injury, I walked the course and was pleasantly surprised to be joined by a touristing parkrunner - Nikol from Renton parkrun in the Seattle-area. The boisterous barkrunner Gus and his mama, a local parkrunner, completed our walking group. The best part about walking the 5k at parkrun is that you have more time to enjoy the journey. Given I was touristing, I made a point to stop along the way to snap photos of the lovely trees and the stunning lake view. I also made a point to ensure the Eagan parkrun course was completed by Faux Foxy, the stand-in for my favorite barkrunner, Foxy, who didn’t make the trip. You may know Foxy as the barkrunner correspondent for parkrun USA — if not, check out the parkrun USA e-newsletter more often 
While we were walking, many other parkrunners were pushing hard to the line. Congrats to all the parkrunners who achieved a personal best: Mark Lutterman, Michael Groskreutz, Christopher Prokop, Caitlin McMahon, Jordan Bowen, Francine Lepage, Melissa Howland, and Molly Hapgood. And, a great big welcome to the parkrun family for first-timers Michael Haring and Brooke Paquette. We hope you had a fabulous time and join us again!
Many heartfelt thanks to this week’s volunteers: Andy Borne, Seth Borne, Jacob Damro, Carol Ferrazzo, Tammy Fluto, Naveen Kumar (who hit volunteer milestone #10 today!), and Nick Rogers. We couldn’t have parkrun today without your awesome support!
—Eden Gray