It was a perfect morning to run. A cool breeze filled the air and “Chariots of Fire” blasted from the speakers over the sound of cheers coming from friends and family.

“Go make some history,” said Dave Oja, founder and director of the Festival of Races in Syracuse, as he whistled the start of each race.

And when Hugh Campbell stepped over the finish line during the Men’s 5K, he did just that.

Campbell, 88, from Wilmington, Del., set a world record for the 85 to 89 age group with a record of 26:45.

“I got a bug in my bonnet and I decided I’d try to run,” said Campbell, who has only been running for a year-and-a-half. “I had problems getting started, but I got better and better, and here I am.”

Oja founded the race in 1993, the Sunday before Columbus Day weekend, and has put it together every year since as a way to help the community. Races included the Men’s 5K, Women’s 5K, the 3K Fun & Fitness Run and the Community Walk.

Participants varied from 4-year-old girls to 88-year-old grandfathers. 406 men and 388 women participated in the male and female 5K races.

Campbell had a few reasons why he thought he ran as well as he did.

“I’m in practice and in shape. I take no medicine. I’m pretty healthy for an old fart like me,” he said.

This year, Syracuse Festival of Races also hosted the 2012 USA Masters 5K Championship, attracting runners from all parts of the country, ranging from Boulder, Colo., to Oxford, Ala., and even some from Canada.

“Where all the people from the world could be running the fastest 5K road race, it’s happening in Syracuse, New York,” Oja said.

Nancy Auster, 86, from Canton, N.Y., is another of this year’s record breakers, as she finished her 20th 5K race in the Syracuse Festival of Races. In the last 30 years, she’s gone on to compete in more than 400 races and triathlons. Auster is considered an inspiration and a legend in the running community.

“Running makes me feel good,” Auster said, surrounded by her friends and family.

She originally chose to participate in the Syracuse Festival of Races because it was one of the few women’s only races.

On top of that, Marie-Louise Michelsohn broke the national record of fastest woman ever by a 70-year-old woman in a 5K race with a record of 23:40.

Other runners, however, didn’t feel as accomplished as these record-breakers.

J.J. Seymour, 67, a runner from New Jersey, felt disappointed with his time, saying he could’ve done better.

“It’s like anything else in life,” Seymour said. “Some days you’re on and some days you’re off. Today just wasn’t an on day for me.”

Seymour believes in that to be competitive in anything, not only in sports but in life, you have to set high standards for yourself. If you don’t, you’d just be pulling yourself through the motions.

His friend, Larry Price, 64, added, “We always say we want to run better. No matter what you run, you want to run better.”

To others, running is also about reuniting with old friends.

Murphee Hayes, 38, a local runner for 20-plus years, said she hadn’t been with her team in a while.

For most participants, running has become far more about the health and social benefits. It’s become a lifestyle. Most veterans admitted they’d continue running for as long as they could.

Said Hayes: “This event brought a lot of our friendships that we found running back together. It’s good to see everybody all in one place.”

Published on October 1, 2012 at 12:27 am

Contact Aury: ahnaranj@syr.edu