HealthPlus Crim Festival of Races inspires many to overcome obstacles
It was the first time Mark Yonan had ever run “The Crim” with his son.
Stride for stride, the duo trudged forward until – out of fatigue, boredom, or both – the youth decided he’d had enough.
“This is stupid,” he told his dad, breathing heavily.
“I’ve been there,” said Yonan, who’d previously run the distance. “Just keep going.”
One of Yonan’s favorite race memories is crossing the finish line that day, which he did with a son who took his advice.
As both first-time and veteran race participants came together for the 40th annual HealthPlus Crim Festival of Races in August, many experienced similar feelings of accomplishment and camaraderie. The HealthPlus Crim Festival of Races remains an event that inspires pride and promotes fitness in the community.
“I asked him if he was glad he finished and he said he was,” recalled Yonan, the Crim Board of Directors chair.
Hosted by Crim Fitness Foundation, the run of multiple distance categories annually draws about 1,200 adult participants. The 2016 Crim organizers used funds usually offered as cash prizes to runners to instead sponsor more than 2,000 entrance fees for Flint residents.
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) announced it will formally add its name to the event next year, following a recent merger with HealthPlus.
Bobby Crim, Crim Fitness Foundation founder, called many of the event’s organizers, past runners, and foundation staff his personal heroes.
Originally named the Bobby Crim Road Race, 707 contestants took part in the first event, which has grown to include 15,000 during its 40 years.
“A happy person is a productive person, and the race (and) the foundation show that productivity,” he said.
A dozen Crim family members from four different generations were set to compete in the Aug. 24 race, with Crim running his 30th.
Ken Deighton, a race veteran and director of Behavioral Health at McLaren Flint and McLaren Oakland medical centers, called The Crim symbolic.
“Really it is about rising to challenges and overcoming obstacles,” he said.
McLaren is one of several sponsors of the run.
From novice runners to marathon competitors, and even disabled participants, everyone sets personal goals, added Deighton. He recalled a tradition of encouragement he learned during the race, which urges runners to say, “Good job” to anyone moving faster.
“Usually, you hate that because it means they’re passing you,” he said. But the spirit of Crim involves inspiring others as much as competing against them.
The run is about “supporting and building people up, making sure people are having a good time, and helping them finish,” Deighton said.
Race Director Andrew Younger called the 40th annual event, which included post-run festivities and live music, a celebration of Flint. The event showcased the city’s best efforts, particularly in light of 2016 participation from as far away as Africa, Europe and Japan, and ongoing media related to its water contamination scare, Younger said.
“We not only know how to put on a great race and a great party for the community, but we have the resolve to know what to do to make our community better in the long run,” he said. “In the face of one of our greatest challenges this will be Flint’s finest hour.”
Yonan credits the race with sparking broader programs through the work of Crim Fitness Foundation, including physical education initiatives in schools that had lost resources for gym classes. Wellness initiatives not connected to the run have emerged, due to “the quality of this event,” Yonan added.
“Throughout the years we like to say The Crim is more than just a race, and it is,” said Yonan. “The Crim is our heart and soul.”
Race represents Flint’s resilience added by E.B. Allen on
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