Hi, Mark here.

Over the past 5 years I have hosted forty-six friday5ks.  Thousands of finishers have crossed the friday5k finish line.

This unique race series is always FREE to participants and is completely supported by the generosity of the members and other like minded individuals.

In 2012 I started hosting friday5ks with the belief that I could provide a similar race experience to those provided by the ubiquitous Saturday morning 5Ks but far more economically. In addition to providing a more economical race experience I also removed the race fee, making participation FREE to anyone that wants to attend. Instead of a fee I sought donations allowing Friday5k.com to exist based solely on the merit of the idea and its execution.

The West Michigan running community has been generous in their support.  2016 was the first year that I asked for funding in advance of the season.  This new funding concept allowed for many upgrades to be introduced which has allowed friday5k to exceed the level of most local 5K races.  Like most local 5Ks we now have a race clock at the finish line, but where we exceed the competition we provided instant on site reporting of results.

In 2017 we will continue to bring the fun that only this venue and concept can bring, but it will be up to you and those like you to decide the direction of Friday5k.  Your donations will help us reach various thresholds, each of which will bring a new and entertaining facet to the 2017 season.

Before we get into the meat of the donation thresholds, I would like to publicly thank my mother, Florence Paulson, who, upon hearing my ideas for the 2017 season has graciously agreed to match the first $500 that Friday5k.com receives in donations.

The following thresholds represent my dream of what Friday5k could be. However, if you want Friday5k to be the most generic version of itself, I am happy to provide. This generic standard can be reached by as few as 40 people donating $24.95 each, meaning nobody claims a single perk, thereby acquiring $1,000 in net funding with Florence Paulson, my mother, subsidizing the rest.  If we break that down it represents 1 in 5 people that cross a Friday5k finish line, in a given year, donating less than they would pay for a typical 5K race.  For this you would get 10 timed races, with finish line clock, finish line photos and videos, real time results reported on the website (not the real time kiosk), individual member reports, and recognition of the 50(ish) mile club. I believe this package is still a very worthy contender in any competition for value against any other race or race series, but I believe Friday5k can be more.  I invite you to share in my vision and help me realize it for you and others without the means you and I possess.  Thank you in advance for your kind consideration of my proposal and dream.  

10 Races - $2,000
The first threshold gets us to the classic version of Friday5K.  Ten fully timed races at Beachwood Park, with full real time results on site, finish line photos, finish line videos, detailed member reports, 50(ish) mile club recognition and results on the website.  For each $200 increment donated one race will be added to the schedule in this order July 7, June 23, August 11, June 2, September 1, May 19, September 29, May 5, October 13, and April 7.

We can reach this threshold if 30 people donate $50, and those people would get the Creepy Van calendar magnet, the Race Assassin hoodie, ten races with full stats, including live results, finish line photos, and the feeling that comes with knowing you provided unlimited free entries to others.

10 Races & Tournament $2,500
https://sites.google.com/site/fnfm5k/tournament/tournament-rules
If we can get to the $2,500 threshold we will add in the now familiar tournament as well as the basic 10 races. This perennial favorite features a series of qualifying races with attendance being the primary variable determining the field of 64 participants. Once the tournament starts, improvement determines who proceeds down the path to the championship. The top three participants receive elegant Lucite crystal trophies.

10 Races, Tournament & League Play $3,700
https://sites.google.com/site/fnfm5k/teams
I couldn't be more excited about the introduction of a new concept than I am about the potential of "Friday 5K League Play". The previous link explains the details, but essentially there will be ten teams of five members competing in a 9 week season where each team faces off in a head to head matchup against every other team at least one time.  The two teams with the best win loss record face off in the final race of the season to determine the champion and to collect $500 in total prizes. In addition to the potential of team glory and financial reward, all team members receive a team colored tubular bandana, similar to the Buffs worn on the television show Survivor.

To add to the fun of this team concept, you can essentially manipulate the make up of the teams at will during the off season. Yes, you can basically guarantee your slot on a team, stack your team with ringers, or just randomly add people to your opponent teams, but while you are doing this someone else may be manipulating the teams as well.

10 Races, Tournament, League Play  and Creeper Van Medal $5,500 
https://sites.google.com/site/fnfm5k/medals
Friday5k.com is not known for giving away swag, but this may be the year we make an exception.  Artists have been commissioned to fashion the most prestigious medal you are ever likely to receive. I am thrilled to introduce the 3" die cast Creeper Van Medal.

Fully embracing the irreverence on which Friday5k.com was built we offer to you the potential to receive the Creeper Van Medal. If we reach the goal of this threshold, 100 hundred Creeper Van Medals will be commissioned. To earn the medals we will treat the first nine races of the season as one race, and member's PRs for the season will be their submission of the results.  Medals will be awarded at the final race of the season to those members finishing in the top three places in their gender age group.  Medals will also be awarded to overall male and female and overall male and female master for the season. 

There you have it, my dreams for the season. All we need are 100 people donating $50 each and the season will include everything. Those 100 people for the low average cost of $5 per race will get 10 races, 10 finish line videos, 10 finish line photos, showing their time and pace, detailed analysis of their stats, potential tournament entry (limited to 64 participants), potential league play entry with cash prizes and team colored tubular bandana (need to vote for yourself on the website, limited to 50 participants), potential to earn the Creeper Van race medal, and guaranteed the Creepy Van refrigerator magnet and the Race Assassin custom hoodie.

In the event that thresholds are not reached, I reserve the right to proceed with any and all of the aforementioned facets of friday5k in any manner I choose appropriate.