Runners were treated to a day of fun and hills at Oakland University’s third annual Golden Grizzlies 5k/10k on Sunday, Sept. 22.
The action spread throughout campus, starting along Meadow Brook Road and finishing at the Elaine Leigh Track and Field Complex. This year saw nearly 1,000 competitors visit OU’s campus for a full schedule of races and a challenging yet scenic course.
The day started off at 9:10 a.m., with a 400-meter kids race around the track. Kids ten and under ran and walked their hardest to the cheers of the 5k/10k competitors still warming up for their race.
At 9:30 a.m. the 5k and 10k runners were sent on their way. The first mile of the course was a steep yet steady decline along Pioneer Drive and Ravine Drive. At approximately the one-mile mark while passing Oakland Softball Field is where runners learned the hard way why OU’s hometown is called Rochester “Hills.”
At the finish line, runners were met with cheers and encouragement from members of the OU cross country and track & field men’s and women’s teams, who served as volunteers for the race. All proceeds from the event went directly to the cross country and track & field programs at OU.
Runners and spectators also had the opportunity to visit several activations from the race’s corporate sponsors, such as Perspire Sauna Studio, Adams Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy and Siemens.
Dr. Joe Goike, a physical thera
pist at Adams Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy as well as 2009 OU track & field alumni, spoke about returning to support his alma mater as a sponsor.
“I was an athlete here. I ran OU track during my time here,” said Goike. “I wanted to give back. I love coming to see the people again, and it’s just a lot of fun.”
“Having my kids run in the kids race with the friends I used to run with who now have kids — that’s kind of the best part.”
To help encourage a strong alumni presence for this year’s race, organizers made the decision to offer a special edition golden bib for alumni competitors, making it easy to spot the former Grizzlies as they raced.
Pat Sarver, assistant coach for cross country and track & field and 2010 OU alumni, spoke on the program finding its groove for year three, as well as the importance of alumni involvement.
“Every year seems to get a little less chaotic for us,” said Sarver. “I think we’ve settled into a groove. We’re starting to get to do a lot of the stuff that we envisioned in the beginning, and we’re really excited about that.”
“We wanted to do something special for the alumni. We wanted to make it a unique experience for them. We have years and years of alumni, not just on the track and cross country front, but through the whole university, and the bibs were a nice unique part of the experience.”
Sarver also spoke on the program’s experience inheriting the Brooksie Way, a historic Rochester Hills based 5k, 10k and half-marathon that ran for 13 years from 2008 to 2021.
“We took over what used to be the Brooksie Way race, and while we’re not the Brooksie Way and we don’t have the half-marathon, we’ve always helped out with that race and they’ve always been a part of the Rochester/Rochester Hills community,” Sarver said.
“We do our best to provide the best experience overall. We want to have a nice experience and a fun communal event for everyone.”
Results from this year’s race are available online, giving runners the ability to review and compare their performance from previous years, and prepare for the fourth annual Golden Grizzlies 5k/10k next fall.
