For many students, the end of the semester can be a gauntlet.
A nasty mix of agonizing assignments and endless studying for exams complete with a nice touch of all-nighters almost inevitably yields a ridiculous amount of stress.
To provide some relief in the chaos, Vandal Health Education (VHE) and University of Idaho Campus Recreation will host a Dash After Dark 5K run and 2K walk around campus at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
“It’s a really fun way, healthy way, to relieve some stress and celebrate the end of the semester,” said Emily Johnson, mental health coordinator for VHE.
Registration for the event is open to anyone above 18 and will be available on the day of the event, Johnson said. Students can sign up for free. Faculty, staff and community members can enter for $5.
Participants will have two routes to choose from. The 5K (3.1 mile) course, which is meant for those who wish to run or jog, will start from the Student Recreation Center and travel along Paradise Creek and Perimeter Drive, wind toward the Administration Building and down past the Lionel Hampton School of Music to the Bruce Pitman Center, and then head towards the Janssen Engineering Building before finally finishing back at the Rec Center.
The 2K (1.3 mile) course is meant for walkers. It will also start at the Rec Center and follow Paradise Creek, but instead of continuing on Perimeter Drive, it will cut onto W 6th Street before eventually turning around the Idaho Repertory Theatre and heading back.
Johnson said each route has already been ran and measured. She said both courses will be well-lit, but every runner and walker will be given a free glow stick necklace as well.
In addition to the necklaces, along both courses — each of which is entirely within campus — will be water stations occupied by students from the Delta Zeta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Pi Beta Phi, and Delta Delta Delta Sororities, Johnson said.
There will also be medical personnel on hand for any emergencies, Johnson added.
“No one should feel like they’re alone on the route at any point,” she said.
Still, VHE also recommends participants bring headgear and any reflective gear they can, Johnson said.
After finishing the course, participants can look forward to fresh fruit like apples, bananas and oranges, granola bars, and other healthy foods, Johnson said.
Times will be recorded, but there will be no prizes for those who race to the finish line first, Johnson said. She said the atmosphere should be low-key and fun.
So far, about 75 to 100 people have registered for the event, Johnson said, and she’d love to see more.
“The more the merrier,” she said.
For those worried about the somewhat nefarious nature of the climbs on campus, Johnson said they can rest easy.
“There’s no hills,” she said.
Ian Hahn can be reached at [email protected]