Dressed in high-cut navy blue running shorts and a bright purple tank top, Ron Heames, 60, bounced in the cold, frosty Sunday morning air as he stretched in preparation for the 20th annual Michigan State University Federal Credit Union Dinosaur Dash.
Heames, an Ann Arbor resident, has run the race for eight years.
"It's one of the best races in Michigan," he said. "There's no traffic and it's right on campus."
Runners and power-walkers gathered at 9:30 a.m. Sunday for the 5-kilometer race on campus. West Circle Drive was closed for the duration of the event.
Participants followed West Circle Drive, down Kalamazoo Street, around Spartan Stadium, down Shaw Lane and crossed the river at Bogue Street.
Walkers and runners then followed the river back to West Circle Drive, where they finished outside of the MSU Museum.
Matt Bozung, an academic adviser in the College of Nursing, took the trophy for the runners with a time just seconds more than the 15-minute mark.
"I was hoping to break 15, but this is a slow course," Bozung said. "I like supporting the museum, too, but the athletic side is more a focus of mine."
The Dino Dash serves as a fund-raiser for the MSU Museum. Participants usually number about 2,500 and the event was expected to raise about $15,000.
The money is used to fund children events such as Fossil Camp and public lectures. "Dateline: Gondwana - New Fossil Discoveries from Tanzania," a new museum exhibit that opened Sunday, also benefited from the event.
Children, college students and community members alike gathered at the museum entrance for the Dino Dash.
Mat Fukuzawa, a mathematics senior, is obliged to participate in two community-service events for his military science class.
Fukuzawa said he his classmates chose the "Dino Dash" because of its physical aspect.
"We're a special breed of boys, we like pushing ourselves to the max," Fukuzawa said.
The event was divided into two divisions - running and power walking.
To ensure none of the walkers cheated, the Dino Dash had spotters to watch walkers' forms throughout the race.
