Come run with us

Update: There are exactly 50 days left before the Refuse to Abuse 5k, and it’s still possible to sign up here to join the Lookout Landing team. The registration fee increases by $5 on June 15, and the event tends to sell out, so it would behoove you to sign up now if you’re interested in running/jogging/walking with us. It’s a fantastic opportunity to support a good cause, and traverse areas of Safeco Field that you might not normally see (The suites! The view from the field!), and now that Miles4RISP has concluded it’s a great chance to show off your newfound strength. Again, feel free to reach out to me in the comments, or via Twitter, if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing you all in Ichiro-minus-1 days!

The best part of joining Lookout Landing has been, and always will be, the amazing community that surrounds this (occasionally cantankerous) oasis of the internet. We’ve done plenty of game meet ups, and even a few baseball/softball games (let’s bring those back, yeah?), so I thought it’d be good to organize another meet up, but do a little good in the process. With that being said, please come join the Lookout Landing team for the Refuse to Abuse 5k at Safeco Field!

Back in 1997 the Mariners, and their philanthropic counterpart Mariners Care, came together to establish the Refuse to Abuse campaign, in conjunction with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. To my knowledge they were the first, and thus far only, MLB team to align themselves with an initiative like this and won the Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence in recognition of this campaign. Professional sports teams have a unique ability to positively influence their community, but not all teams take advantage of this. Though the Mariners’ on-field play may not always delight us, the organization itself, and their community involvement, consistently make me proud to be a Mariners fan.

Beyond the feel-good philanthropy of the event, it also gives you the opportunity to cavort throughout all levels of Safeco Field on a Saturday morning. The course takes you along the suite and view levels, then down to the tunnel below the field, and ultimately ends with a lap of the warning track. They set the finish line right next to third base, where the ghost of Kyle Seager (and a bunch of other enthusiastic real life folks) can cheer you on for that final stretch. It is by far the most fun run I’ve ever done, as Andrew Rice can attest, and I so hope that you’ll join us this year.

The link to the site is right here but, since people can be lazy, here’s a breakdown of the important stuff.

When/Where: Safeco Field on Saturday July 15, 2017 (two days after my sister’s birthday, which would be a sweet thing to reference if she actually read this site). Packet pick up runs from 6:30-8 AM, and the race itself begins at 8:30

Cost: $40 until June 15th, and $45 after. The cost includes a medal, “technical shirt,” and goody bag, as well as all-important free parking in the garage across from Safeco. It would behoove you to sign up soon, since the event is limited to 1,750 participants and sells out rapidly.

Children are allowed on the course, but dogs and strollers are not.

*Important note: When you register there will be an option to join a team from the dropdown menu, wherein you can easily select “Lookout Landing” as your team of choice. An easy link to the registration page is here.

For those of you who want to be involved but do not wish to participate in the 5k element of the event, organizers are still looking for volunteers to help with registration, etc. The link to volunteer is here.

If you’re one of the many non-Seattle dwelling LLers, but want to support an excellent cause, here’s a link to a general donation page. If you’re so inclined, you can even say you’re donating in support of the Lookout Landing team in the comments.

So come run, walk, or cheer with us. If you’ve done it before, help me convince others by sharing your experiences below, and if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me here or on Twitter (@95coffeespoons). Go M’s!