Tail-wagging canines lined the parking lot of Carpenter Park Fields in Thornton, eager to take off on a 3.1-mile run. Their owners, dressed in running gear, were also eager — for more altruistic reasons.
The Lucky Dog Dash 5k, held by 3W Races, began Saturday morning, helping raise money for local charity, Food for Hope — a non-profit in Adams County that looks to provide nutritious foods for children in need and local schools.
This was not the average 5k, though. As the name implies, dogs were invited. And they were there in droves.
Over 100 runners lined up, a majority of them with their pups, helping bring together the community and its loveable pets for a good cause — the overall mission of 3W Races.
Pomeranian Brizo stares on as the human runners prepare for the Lucky Dog Dash race. Brizo was ready, maintaining a serious composure and competitive nature.
“Everybody loves to go running with their best partner, and usually it’s their dog in Colorado,” James Bettis, owner of 3W Races, said.
He and his wife began 3W Races in 2012 as a way to meet people in their new home.
“My wife and I were trying to determine how we could plug into our community and how we could make a difference wherever we were,” he said.
During their first year, they ended up holding 40 races and generating great donations for the unique charities they teamed up with at every event. By the end of the year, they decided to make it a permanent endeavor, now participating in over 120 races a year and holding 45 of their own.
“Our strongest belief has been, if you want to make friends, you have to provide experiences or opportunities for people to get together and create experiences,” he added. “If you don’t have events that bring people out that wouldn’t have another reason to get together, you don’t get to connect as well.”
The three W’s in the company’s title stand for “do what we can, when we can, where we are,” Bettis said.
Chihuahua mix, Jimmy, was anxious to get started at the Lucky Dog Dash on Saturday. He couldn’t sit still, eager to run the 3.1 miles around the park.
The Lucky Dog Dash, one of their two dog-related races, was all about making connections — sometimes with a few sniffs.
“We have a lot of people who bring their dogs regularly. Most of our races are dog-friendly,” Amy Young, 3W Races race director said. “We just love dogs.”
To Young, the idea is simple: come out for a good cause and meet the community, regardless of your fitness level.
“We always stay until the last person finishes,” she said, noting that they have no time limits at any of their races, though the fastest racers are awarded for their efforts.
“You come out, we’ll leave the music running and encourage you to do your best. I think a lot of people come back because we don’t really have a huge competitive nature,” she added. “A lot of people are just getting back into shape. We don’t care. Just come out and do it.”
While runners tried to stay course around Carpenter Park Fields in Thornton, some dogs had different ideas. Though the run was exciting, the camera was even better for this pup.
Bettis agreed.
“3W was about creating events that anyone could access,” he said. “We’re accessible to the walker, the runner, the person that runs with a dogs, the person that’s bringing a baby in a stroller. We wanted to make the races available to everybody and not focusing on the fastest racer.”
And, while most of the dogs involved weren’t the fastest racers, they were certainly having a blast.