Charley Melvin countdown begins

The Charley Melvin 5K run first attracted LaRisa Lochner and husband, Brian, because of its unique nature.
“It’s not often you run at midnight through a cemetery,” said Lochner.
The Lawrence couple will be returning for Friday night’s race and are bringing three of their running friends in tow.
“It’s not only fun, but it’s also challenging,” she said. “The fun and the challenge was to run in the dark so late at night. I was also surprised at the caliber of runners.”
Lochner, 40, has been running for nine years and seeks out races that are either unusual in nature or have a philanthropic nature.
This year’s Charley does both. A percentage of all proceeds from registrations for the 5K run and 3K walk will go to the Boston One Fund to aid victims of the explosions in April’s Boston Marathon.
Lochner said she and her husband took in “the whole experience” of Charley Melvin last year.
“We ate at that great Mexican food restaurant on your square, we watched the drag race, listened to the music and watched the light parade — all before the race itself.
“Most events feature just a race. Iola’s is more than just a race, it’s a whole evening of entertainment that’s fun for the whole family. We loved how supportive all of Iola seemed to be of the night. It was very impressive. That’s the great thing about small towns,” she said.
No stranger to small town life, Lochner hails from Colby, in the far reaches of western Kansas.
Today, she works as a development director for the University of Kansas Endowment Association. The job has her “on the road quite a bit,” which makes her aware of all the different kinds of races available these days.
Earlier this month she competed in a women-only “Thelma and Louise” half-marathon in Moab, Utah. “The high elevation caught us by surprise,” she said of the experience.
She said she learned of the Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run for Your Life through a flyer at the Gary Gribble’s running store in downtown Lawrence.
“The uniqueness of the race intrigued us,” Lochner said.
The Lochners compete in a variety of races most weekends, she said.
“Brian isn’t as competitive as I am,” she said, “but is always game.” After Friday’s run, in fact, they’ll head up to Kansas City to compete in a mud run.
“Last year we didn’t spend the night in Iola after the race. That made for a late night home,” she said. “This year, we’re spending the night in Iola to soak up all the activities and then get a good night’s sleep.”
LaRisa said she and Brian run all year round. He works as a project manager for Black Hawk Ventures, a firm that builds hospitals for the Veterans Affairs.
“We used to live in Austin, so during the winter we sometimes attend races down there,” she said. Lochner said she averages an 8-minute mile in a typical race. “But otherwise, it’s a 9-minute mile.”