Episode 5: Michele Marvin and the Story Behind the West U Halloween Dash

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You're listening to the O05, the podcast that celebrates the people, places, and stories that make West University Place such a special community. And here's your host, Natalie Crossley.

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Okay, so we're here with Michelle Nezi Marvin, a resident of West University. Hi, nice to meet you. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. Well, we're excited to have you, and I I have not mentioned this to you before now, but um when we started the podcast, it was very soon after that. I started receiving messages from people in the neighborhood saying you've got to talk to Michelle. Oh, seriously? Yeah. So you are very highly requested, just so you know. Yeah. Yeah. And that's why I can live up to those expectations. No, I'm excited to have you here. And I want to learn more about the Halloween Dash. And um, I'm embarrassed to admit that our family has not participated. And the more I'm learning about it, I'm like, why not? So the big deal is that this is the 15th anniversary. Correct. So congratulations. Thank you. I mean, to start something like that and then keep it going is really awesome. So it's been fun.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

It's it's a really fun thing to do every October for me to bring the community together and celebrate running.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Yeah. So tell me, are were you a big runner? Like how did this get started?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Yeah, so I was a big runner, but I also, you know, I've lived in West U um since I moved here out of business school. So we're on year 29. So I've loved the community and just thought, you know, I grew up in the Northeast, and every town in the Northeast has their neighborhood, their town 5K, and I thought West U needed a 5K. And so that's kind of how it came about. That's so great. And so when you decided you were gonna do it, it's always been around Halloween, so it's always on this Saturday in October that's closest to Halloween. Okay. So this year it's on Halloween, which is super exciting.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Super fun. Yeah, Halloween's on a Saturday this year. Um, and then tell me where it starts and where it ends.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

So it starts on Auden right by in front of the library. Okay. Um and ends basically in the same spot. Oh, okay. It just goes all the way back around. Yeah, it's a loop. Got it. Adults and kids. Adults and kids. So we have a 5K race, um, which is chip timed. Um, and then we also do a dog and stroller run. Love. Loves that idea. Um, which starts just after um the 5k kind of the last 5K runners cross the finish line. And that's mainly just because we have so many kids to get the wheeled things and the leashes away from the kids who start out sprinting as hard as they can for the first four blocks and don't need any potential tripping hazards. So we do do a dog and stroller run as well, which is also chip timed, and we give awards for the fastest male and female in that group. Um, and then we do it's a one-mile kid spun run um that is not timed, but everyone who every all the kids get a medal when they finish.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

That's amazing. Yeah. Oh my goodness. And so, what has attendance been like over the last 15 years? How much has it changed?

SPEAKER_01 3:05

You know, we typically now have about a thousand runners. Um, it's always been a pretty good critical mass, not a thousand for sure. Um, I really want to break a thousand this year. So enough, people.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Let's work on it.

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So let's talk dates.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Yes. Um, in terms of, so it's happening on October 31st. How long do people have to register? They can register up until that morning. Oh, great. Okay. And where do they go to do that?

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Um, so you can register either on the City of West Jew's website or um there's a registration engine um called Run Sign Up. Okay. So if you put West U Halloween Dash into Google, it will take you to either of those websites.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

It actually took me there.

unknown 3:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Um, and we'll add a link to when we do um our post. So they have until um the day of to register, so that's awesome. And then they find out the results, I guess, like right after if it's chip run. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

Yeah, so we'll have the results. The results are real-time results, so they'll be updating as people finish.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

That's amazing. So, how competitive does it get every year? Are there people that, you know, are consistent winners? Or what do you think?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

We have had, you know, we haven't had consistent, consistent winners, but the course is known kind of in the Houston running community as a very fast course. Um, so we've had runners that have broken 15 minutes. Um, we had someone who did the race for a couple years who was break who had broken the master's 5K record. Um, we've also had um Olympic um marathonners run the race. Oh my goodness. Uh one of the women who ran the race, Jordan Hassey, who's now Jordan Hogan, at the time had run the third fastest marathon of any American woman. Um, so we've had some really incredible talent come do the race. Lenny Waite has done the race, who's also she's an Olympian from Great Britain.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

This is amazing. So in my mind, I'm thinking it's just my neighbors, you know.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

And it is mostly just your neighbors, but um, there are some very, depending on the year, there will be some very fast people who come, which are really from out of town. Most uh Jordan didn't live here, um, but she was looking to fulfill a sponsor obligation for races. Um, and she has some relationships in the running community here.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Um, but a lot of them live here. That's that's really cool. Yeah, okay. And how did you decide on 5k versus another?

SPEAKER_01 5:29

I mean I mean it's accessible. Yeah. You know, people can um, you know, if you train for a couple weeks, um, usually you can kind of muddle through it.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Yeah, exactly. Okay. And then it's nice that you guys included pets. Um but then also put it separate, I think was smart. And so tell me about where the funds go.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Um, so all the proceeds from the run, um, the net proceeds after we pay for our expenses benefit the Westview Parks and Recreation Department.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

Um, and so we've been able to fund a lot of really great things for the community over the course of the last 15 years. The funds from the run have funded things like the running track that was installed at the recreation center last year. Um, we've bought um the rowing machines that are at the rec center. Actually, probably the thing I'm the most excited was very excited about at the time. Um, for those of you that haven't lived in West U for a super long time, we had um a shooting on Law Street many years ago, and the West U First Responders were the first on the scene and they didn't have any protective gear. Um, so that year we actually diverted a little from putting funds into the Parks and Rec department, and we used funds to buy all of the West U first responders bulletproof vests and helmets. That's amazing. Um, which is great. Yes, I'm so we've been and we did also use funds to when WestU first um set up some of the tennis courts to be able to do pickleball. So those funds came from the run.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

That's nice. I know that's becoming very popular. Yeah. Um people wanting their courts to be pickleball courts. Well, that's so great that you're able to do that, and I'm sure the rec department um appreciates it. Obviously, having outside funding coming in is so nice. Do you know what they're needing next? Or I have to ask. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

They'll be ready for you, I'm sure. Usually, and she I'm so scattered right now.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Usually we do talk about it, and I'm like, we may have talked about it, and I may not know. And would that be Susan White? Yeah, yes, okay, amazing. Obviously, you said you've lived here, you said 29 years. Okay, so how did you end up in West You and why? Um, especially since you're you're not a Houston.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

No, I'm not a Houstonian. So um my husband and I moved to Houston right after we got married and I finished business school. Um, we came to came here so I could work for a great company called Enron. Okay, this is all making sense. And Enron's not here anymore, but I am. Um Houston's been great for our family. Um, but that's how we ended up in Houston.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

So you stayed. And so you raised a family in West U. Tell me a little bit about that. I love hearing people's experiences being in the neighborhood with kids.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Um, yeah, so my kids, so I have a 24-year-old son who is finishing up at Texas AM, and a 21-year-old daughter who is um a senior at Alabama. And they both went to West U Elementary School and were very involved in you know, sports in the community, softball, and um my son was a volunteer firefighter in Southside Place. Oh, I love that. At the end of his high school, he finished high school kind of as COVID was happening, and that was kind of his COVID thing. So that was kind of a full circle moment with the first responder helmets and best. Um he's now an EMT for Texas AM as well. How special. So that's great.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Yeah, and they both still love West You, love coming back. Love coming home. That's so nice. Well, obviously, um, the neighborhood is lucky to have you guys. I mean, to be a resident, have an idea like this, you know, and actually implement it, it's really commendable. So, um, how long did that idea kick around in your head before you were like, okay?

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Um, so the race actually started um as a fundraiser for Westview Elementary School. Um and we did it for Westview Elementary School, I want to say it was maybe the first three years. Um, and then for whatever reason, the I don't know if it was the PTO of the administration, had decided that they just didn't want it on the calendar anymore. And it was ironically like when my daughter had just finished fifth grade. And I kind of had a little bit of an inkling. So I had I worked with Susan a lot on stuff, but and I'd said, like, if the school ever decided I was gonna keep doing it for the school, and I said, if the school ever decides they don't want it, does the city want it? And they were like, Yeah, of course. So the city has been just from the start super supportive of the event. Um, the course was designed by one of the police officers who's still out there every year on a bike, and um the staff is very supportive of you know letting me use them as resources to hang banners and nice, you know, the police provide a tremendous amount of security at the event. Um, they provide a lot of officers to help with closing the streets. Um, we focus a lot on how do we keep the course safe but minimize disruption to all the residents. So we do what's called a rolling closure. So it's kind of as the runners go by, the roads are opening back up to really minimize the amount of time that the residents are disruptive, and that's something that's very important to us. Yeah, that's not everyone thinks it's a really great event that they've very important. Well, some people just want to, you know, yeah, and understandably, people have doctors that you know have to get to hospitals and jobs and flights, and yes, so we really want to minimize the disruption to the non-participants that's not. Got it.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

Well, it sounds like y'all do a good job. And especially since it's taking um place around Halloween, I'm assuming the costume contest is happening because it's Halloween. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

So we do have a lot of people who run in costumes. Oh my goodness, more when it's cooler out than warmer out. We've had two warm years, so I'm hoping for a cool year this year, and it's actually a little, you know, because it falls on Halloween, it's a little later in the year than the last a week later than the last couple years. So that's nice. Hoping for a nice cold front.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Well, good. And then there's prizes for that as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

So there's prizes for the costume contest, and then we also um have age group awards for the top male and female and top three in each age category.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

Okay, great. So if people want to register, it's not too late. It's all the way up until the 31st. Correct. And then tell me about the training plan that you guys offer.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

So we have a six-week training plan that's available on the website as well that just started on Monday. So it's not too late. You can catch up. And it's called um From Couch to 5K training plan, and it's designed to make it accessible to anyone who wants to spend, you know, not too long every day devoting a little bit of time to trying to build up their fitness to be able to do the 5K on October 31st. It's a great kind of family event and community event. There's lots of families running together, and we just love to see everyone out there smiling and happy to be running. What time do they start in the morning? So the 5K starts at 8. Okay. Um, and the um kids' fun run starts at 8 45. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

So it's not terribly early. We can get out there on a Saturday morning. Okay. Well, thank you so much for your time, Michelle. I'm glad to finally meet you in person. Like I said, heard a lot about you. So a lot of the neighbors appreciate what you're doing, and it's again really impressive. You've kept it going for 15 years. So congrats again. Well, thank you for your anniversary. Yes, okay. Well, I'm gonna try to rally the troops and see you guys out there. All right, okay, thank you.