KAIXO!
We hope you'll join us for LAMBPAGE 2K16
(...it's a LAMB ramPAGE...)
A 5k Fun Run/Walk Along Boise's Beautiful Greenbelt
Race Details:
- Saturday, April 30, 2016
- Start and Finish at Old Timer's Shelter in Ann Morrison Park
- Run/walk starts at 10:30 a.m.
- $35 registration fee gets you a shirt and food at the finish line, and feel free to stay and play at our Basque Picnic!
Packet pickup
Since this is a FUN run/walk, we are NOT timing it with chips embedded in your race bib, but feel free to bring your own timing gear/watch/phone/FitBit/whatever you use.
Race Course
LAMBpage 2016 is a 5k run along the Boise Greenbelt. It starts and finishes at the Old Timer's Shelter in Ann Morrison Park.
We'll start "corral"-ing (get it?!) participants in the cul-de-sac next to the shelter at about 10am, so everyone's ready to rampage--er, LAMBpage-- right at 10:30am sharp.
Runners/walkers will head east along the south side (park side) of the Greenbelt, cross Friendship Bridge at Julia Davis Park, loop west along the north side of the Greenbelt, and double back just after passing Americana Blvd. Then it's a sprint (or a powerwalk) back toward the footbridge just west of the shelter, across the bridge and you'll have the finish line in sight. Follow your nose to the smell of Basque food cooking back at the Old Timer's Shelter, and you're done!
So, how is it a "Basque" 5k?
Basque entertainment (think dancers, accordions, people making noise and cheering for you) will be featured along the race course - can you hear the trikitixa now?
If you really want to get into the spirit, you can dress up just like the runners do for Running of the Bulls in the Basque Country every July. Wear you Pamplona reds and whites!
Finally, every Basque gathering has good food and drink somewhere weaved in there. For this event, we'll have Basque food ready for you at the finish line. Non-runners can attend too and buy food for themselves (but if you register for the race, you get free food!)
All participants will receive a ticket for a FREE DRINK at the Basque Center on the day of the race. After the run/walk you can march on over to the corner of 6th and Grove - everyone is invited, and those of you who are over 21 get a free alcoholic beverage. Those of you under 21 - they make a mean Shirley Temple. You can collect your race drink after 3:00 pm. Payette Brewery generously donated some Mutton Buster beers (because Lambpage) to our cause. Participants can choose between Mutton Buster or authentic Kali Motxo (Basque cocktail) while supplies last!
The Picnic: A Day In the Park Playing Games
Speaking of picnic food, any Basque picnic worth its salt will have picnic games galore, and at this one, we will have PRIZES FOR WINNERS! Hang around after the race and you can participate in:
- Korrika (running): if you did the run/walk you already participated in this one
- Sokatira (tug-of-war): this is a real thing and they are super competitive in the homeland. Google it.
- Txinga Eramatea (weight carrying): a competition to see who can carry some heavy specialized weights the farthest. The 5k is your cardio, and txingas is your strength training!
- Lokotx Biltzea (cob gathering): kind of like running ladders for basketball, only for fun, not because coach told you to
- Horseshoes: okay this one might be American. We don't know, but we play it.
There are lots of other interesting farm games we won't be allowed to play in the park - you can learn about them here.
At the picnic there will be food and drinks available for purchase. Bring your family - everyone can play! Picnic will go until 3:00pm.
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The Cause: Representing Boise at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D. C.
If you don't know much about Basque dance, here's a brief history:
The dances we preserve are more than artistic expression, they are statements of political independence, ethnic identity, and social unity. To the Basque people, music and dance have always been great symbols of ethnic pride and identity, and are deeply rooted in the history of the Basques and their struggle for independence. For 25 years of the Franco government in Spain, Basque dance and music were outlawed, and yet these fundamental cultural elements endured. In fact, suppression encouraged their proliferation as Basques, a proud and stubborn people, defied the repressive government by practicing their ancient dances and passing them on to their children. In 1960, a group of young Basque-Americans traveled abroad to reconnect with these traditions. They were taught by a group called "Oinkari", who "gifted" the name to the young dancers. These founders passed on their art to their friends, their children, and their grandchildren, and over 55 years later we are still going strong.
Oinkari Basque Dancers have been invited to perform at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. over the 4th of July holiday this summer. The Folklife Festival is an annual event that features a different group or culture each year. They create massive, living exhibits on the mall of our national capitol, and attract over 1 million visitors annually. If you want to know more you can visit their website.
The festival this year is centered on the Basque culture. Most of the performers/entertainers/exhibits will be from the actual Basque Country. We are deeply honored to have the privilege of representing our local Basque club, the City of Boise, the State of Idaho, and the entire Basque-American diaspora at the festival. No funding is provided by the festival, which is why we must fundraise to pay for us to get there. All proceeds from LAMBPAGE will go directly towards our travel/lodging costs for the festival.
Our group will be performing on the 4th of July on the mall of the capitol. How beautiful it is that we are going to dantza in our traditional costumes in our nation's capitol, on the very day we are celebrating the United States and the freedom that allowed our ancestors to immigrate here and become the great people they were? We thank you for supporting us and for joining in our celebration!
Okay - now that you've read our spiel you can scroll back up and register for the race. Aupa Korrikalariak (runners)!
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Can't join us for the race, but would still like to help?
Donate to Oinkari at any time, in any amount by clicking the PayPal button below. You can use any major credit card and your information is securely encrypted. Oinkari Basque Dancers is a 501(c)(3) corporation and your donation is tax-deductible.
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Can't join us for the race, but would still like to help?
Donate to Oinkari at any time, in any amount by clicking the PayPal button below. You can use any major credit card and your information is securely encrypted. Oinkari Basque Dancers is a 501(c)(3) corporation and your donation is tax-deductible.
