Why do you run? Why do I run? Saturday, June 14 was a typical Nebraska morning…..warm and humid, but that didn’t stop over 1550 people from running the 2025 Cornfield Cornfield in person. As I saw people grabbing their packets, putting on their race bibs, and chatting with friends before the race started, I couldn’t help but smile thinking about what a blessing running is. I know everyone has their “why”. I heard some people talking about their “why” both before and after the race. Here are the “why”s I heard –

  • Why Not?
  • It’s so fun
  • I got to run with my friend(s)
  • I PRed
  • I trained for this
  • I didn’t train for this, but who cares, I’m here
  • My family and friends are here supporting me

And it got me thinking about why I run. I first started running because Cross Country and Distance Running required far less hand-eye coordination than volleyball, basketball and soccer and I didn’t want to ride the bench, I wanted to participate and compete for my school. What started as something to do in middle and high school turned into a passion halfway through college and eventually into a full time career. What keeps me getting out the door day after day, my “why”

  • It’s fun – yep, I think running is fun =)
  • It’s a great for my mental health
  • It’s social – I LOVE running with friends!
  • It makes me feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally.
  • To set an example for my kids to live actively and enjoy it
  • I’ve been injured and known runners who can no longer run, so I am thankful I can do it.
At the end of the day, we all run for different reasons and I am so thankful for each and every one of you that runs. Let’s keep showing up, supporting each other, and running for all of our “why”s.
-Linda Brown, Cornfield Cornfield Race Director