The last Hermann 5K was held in 2019, but was on hiatus after the COVID pandemic in 2020. New Ulm’s Park and Recreation decided to bring the run back as part of the HermannFest celebration. Previously, the Hermann 5K was held during the first weekend of Oktoberfest, but it was decided to tie the run with the HermannFest celebration.

The 5K run started at 2nd North Street next to Harman Park. The route took runners north on Garden Street, west up Oak Street Hill, south on Highland Avenue and east down Center Street past Hermann Monument and finish back at 2nd North Street.

In addition to the 5K, a special Mile Fun Run was held at the same time. For the mile run, runners traveled north on Garden Street, then turned east on 5th North Street, south on West Street, and east on 3rd North, before returning to Garden Street and finishing at the 2nd North finish line.

Roughly 80 people registered for the Hermann 5K and One Mile Fun Run. The two runs began simultaneously. Those participating in the mile run returned first. Nine-year-old Arthur Johnson of Gibbon was the first to complete the mile run. Johnson managed to complete the mile in 7 minutes and 19 seconds. He said it was the first time he had tried running a mile.

Martin Luther College (MLC) cross country team volunteer to help during the Hermann 5K, holding direction signs and signs of encouragement for runners. In photo, L to R: Naomi Kassulke, Rachel Weed and Ada Johnston:

Around 12 minutes later, the first runners in the 5K reached the finish line. Turbes was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 19 minutes and two seconds. Turbes said he was relatively new to running. He competed in cross country in high school last year and took part in a Fairmont 5K earlier this year. Turbes said the running conditions for the race were favorable.

“It was cold at first, but after running for a while, you warm up,” he said. “The cold keeps your throat from drying up.”

Turbes said the most challenging part of the run was Oak Street hill, which is nearly a half-mile uphill. He said the trick was to hit the hill hard. The end of the 5K allowed runners to come down hill on Center Street. Turbes said he was able to sprint and build up speed for the last leg of the race.

MLC freshman Camden Fager finished second in the 5K with a time of 19 minutes, 30 seconds. Fager said he ran cross country in high school, but this was his first raced he had done summer, but was happy to get back into it.

Fager said he also struggled with the Oak Street Hill.

Arthur Johnson, 9, from Gibbon finished first in the one-mile fun run. He completed the mile in 7 minutes, 19 seconds all while wearing crocs.

“I am from Monroe, Michigan and it is fairly flat out there,” he said. “That hill almost killed me. I am not used to it.”

Medals were given to the top three finishers for men and women. In the mens category, Turbes and Fager took first and second with 20-year-old Jack Pittenger taking 3rd. In the women’s division, 12-year-old Kaillee Kloecki finished first with a time of 23 minutes and one second; 10-year-old Kate Johnson took second with a time of 23 minutes 11 seconds and 45-year-old Katie Beers finished third at 24 minutes 13 seconds.

Kloecki said she was practicing the 5K in the days leading up to the race, but it was the first she had ever run. She agreed with her fellow runners that Oak Hill was the hardest part, but it was fun to run down Center Street.

By coincidence, the fourth place male and fourth place female runner were a married couple, David and Nicole Sowers. David Sowers finished with a time of 20 minutes and 9 seconds.

“It was awesome conditions,” Sowers said. “We had a breeze on Oak Street. I was training on that hill for three weeks.”

Four-year-old Camden Brigger of New Ulm gives Hermann a high-five after completing the one-mile fun run with a time just under 15 minutes.

It was the first 5K the couple had run together. Nicole said they typically went for runs together, but this was the first time she joined David in a 5K. She finished with a time of 24 minutes 38 seconds.

This year, Heart of New Ulm (HONU) collaborated with Park and Rec to help bring the Hermann 5K back.

Kaitlin Gawrisch with HONU said one of the goals of bringing the Hermann 5K back was to make it family friendly. It was decided to ad the One Mile Fun run but also add a kids obstacle course after the 5K and mile run.

The kids’ obstacle course was set up on the practice field in Harman Park. The course featured several literal hoops for the kids to jump through or crawl through as they were able. The end of the course involved an inflatable with several additional obstacles.

The first kid through the obstacle course was 8-year-old William Andrews. Andrews had also competed in the 5K race with a time of 30 minutes even. His time through the obstacle course was much quicker. He said the hoops were the hardest part, because it was easy to get hooked on them. The inflatable was the favorite part. Andrews described it as more of a bounce house than an obstacle.

12-year-old Kailee Kloecki was the first woman to cross the finish line in the Hermann 5K Saturday with a time of 23 minutes and one second.

He and several of his fellow runners would go through the course multiple times throughout the day.

All registered participants in the races were given a free ticket to visit the New Ulm Rec Center and climb Hermann Monument during the day.

Eight-year-old William Andrews was the first to complete the youth obstacle course Saturday. Andrews said the inflatable obstacles at the end of the course were the best part. He would run the course multiple time.

William Andrews, 8, high-fives Hermann after completing the youth obstacle course.

Nicholas Turbes runs downhill on Center Street during the last leg of the Hermann 5K. He was the first runner to complete the 5K Saturday with a time of 19 minutes and two seconds.

A group of young boys (L to R) Asher Stadheim, Declan Stadheim, Byron Tramp and Clayton Tramp get ready to compete in the youth obstacle course following the Hermann Run, Saturday.