Warm Weather Brings Galesburg Runners to the Streets

As the weather starts to warm up, Galesburg residents are getting outdoors to get fit.

The Wellness Coordinator at the YMCA, Carmen Peterson, is among the runners filling the streets of Galesburg.

She recently participated in the Boston Marathon and has been running since she was 10 years old.

Peterson tells WGIL that the roaring crowds and thoughts of people at home were what kept her running.

” They didn’t just politely clap telling me I was doing a good job, they were really into it,” says Peterson. “They screamed and yelled, people would see my name on my shirt–they would yell out at me, they would look me in the eye, telling me to keep going and that I could do it. That kind of atmosphere really drove me on.”

Running may not be everyone’s first choice in outdoor exercise and Peterson says she understands that.

She tells new runners that running is a process to build up and that she feels people cut off way too soon.

Peterson says, “I usually tell people to find something to keep them fit and physically active and to keep them healthy.”

The YMCA will be holding outdoor fitness classes and an outdoor obstacle course for those interested in getting active outdoors who aren’t ready to run.

For runners of all levels, Run Galesburg Run will have three courses, including 1 mile, a 5K and a half marathon run, which will be held on June 7th.

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