Have you ever been to a gold mine? It’s probably a ghost town now. As soon as gold was found, people rushed to the area, built cities, and mined every ounce of gold. Then they packed up and moved to the next place, leaving nothing but empty buildings in places of extraordinary beauty.
These towns are usually in the places that look like your computer’s wallpaper. Large mountains, crystal clear lakes, and wildlife roaming into town. If you didn’t understand the value of gold, you’d question why anyone left.
Topeka is different. Outsiders understand why people leave. They ask why people stay.
I left once, for five years. I lived in Colorado surrounded by the mountains, in the place tourists travel thousands of miles for one photo. I loved my time in Colorado, and I still visit often. In my time in Colorado I learned a new perspective, that obvious beauty isn’t always the most valuable. I recognized the value of my hometown, the Golden City.
Topeka has beauty that might not be right in your face. It can be hard to see, appreciate, or realize, but I think better than any gold that can be mined. The Golden City is a precious place. Here we take care of each other, connect with strangers, create opportunities, and love each other so much our goodbyes take half an hour. This Golden City does not have a finite amount of resources nor value.
When settlers first arrived in Topeka they described the area as the “Golden City” which is written on our city's seal. They saw the gold in the prairies grasses and elm trees glowing beneath the Kansas sun.
I see Topeka’s gold in running.
Running is a big part of my life. I'm a runner, coach, and co-host of Top City Run Club. The sport of running has introduced me to some of my favorite memories, friends, and people. Topeka has an amazing running scene. Throughout the city are multiple run clubs all equally in value. All of these run clubs are inclusive of every athlete. Elite runners and beginner walkers are equally welcomed. Strangers become friends. Friends become training partners. Training partners become family.
Topeka has a local running podcast that showcases the love inside our running community. The Buckleheads Podcast description reads, “We are talking to and interviewing everyone we can seek out about all things running throughout the Midwest, from race directors to back of the packers, from race winners to volunteers.” They show they care and recognize what everyone does, and their listeners do as well. In Topeka everyone is gold. The Buckleheads Podcast shows this in their work.
We have what seems like a 5k race every weekend, an amazing half marathon through the city, and trail races including my favorite, The Skyline Scramble. You can see people crush their personal records or finish their first race every weekend. It is not about running. It is about people giving themselves to the community, and still finding discipline and time to push themselves in their training. Topeka summers are hot and the winters are cold. But Topekans still show up.
Kathrine Switzer, the first official woman to race the Boston Marathon said "If you're ever losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon." I would say if you ever are struggling to see the gold in Topeka, join the running scene. Go watch high school athletes showcase their hard work on the track. Volunteer for a local race that people have prepped months for. Go to a local run club and walk with joyful people in beautiful parks Topeka offers us for free. Or maybe set a goal for yourself, work hard every day, and earn the medal at a race of your own choosing. Through the process of these actions the gold of Topeka will show itself, like it has shown me.
The Topeka running scene has been a huge support of myself. I recently finished 10th place in the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile Race. This race takes place in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where the air is thin high in the clouds, and the trail is not accessible by vehicles. I met many people in the race who all were surprised when I told them I was from. They all asked the same question: “How do you train for the mountains in Kansas?”
They were asking me about the landscape.
I would tell them about the people.
In running we call the people who support us our crew. They are the ones that fill your bottles mid race and make sure you have a fresh pair of clothes at the finish line. They hold signs while yelling in the heat of the day, and check to make sure you are moving in the cold dark night.
My Topeka crew lifted me up. Leading up to the race, our local runners taught me how to use our terrain to train, prepared me for the hard moments of the race, and supported my ability to focus on training. They were there in moments of success and failure. They cheered me on while I ran by on my training runs, and they watched while I was thousands of miles away running up a mountain in the race. My Topeka crew was more valuable than any amount of gold. There was never a moment I felt alone.
The crew that made it to the race with me told me about all the love I was receiving during the race. This fueled me more than any amount of coffee could. When I was chasing the finish line in the dark night, I knew someone was watching my GPS tracker, telling me to keep pushing. And when I finished and got to my phone, I had more notifications than I have ever seen. First telling me good luck, then eager cheering without my response, and text about how proud people were of me. To my Topeka crew, thank you will never show how grateful I am to you. I did not run this race on my own.
I want to compete at the biggest races in the world and represent my crew, city, and state. Most people say I need to live somewhere else to be successful in running. To live near taller mountains and hotter deserts. I used to believe them. But now I realize I am most successful at home in Topeka. That this city doesn’t extract its gold. It creates it.
