As Cory and Glenn Tillman each crossed the finish line at this year’s 20th Restoration Labor Day 5K, one became a champion — and the other wasn’t far behind, although the pair laughed about the father being unable to see his son.
Cory Tillman finished first with a time of 19:08.8, while Glenn Tillman finished first in his age group (40-49) and sixth overall with a time of 20:48.8.
“(His) time’s definitely gotten a lot better, (he’s) faster,” Glenn said. “I can’t keep up with (him) anymore.”
The father-son running duo from Lexington have participated in the Restoration Labor Day 5K for the past three years, but this is the first time either has won it.
“The first year I ran, I placed, I think, 14th, and the next year, I placed second,” Cory said. “So it was nice to finally win it.”
The annual race took place on Sept. 2 at the Crawford Depot, and awards went to the top overall male and female finishers, including Cory, as well as overall male and female masters and the top three of each age group.
“That was the first 5K that I really enjoyed running,” Cory said.
What began as a way to stay in shape during Cory’s two-month window between track and cross country, morphed into a bonding experience of morning runs and races for the Tillmans.
“It’s nice having a shared interest that can motivate me to get better at it,” Glenn said, “I’ve always liked running, but running with Cory has really, kind of helped me refocus how I want to move forward.”
Cory, a junior at Oglethorpe County High School, is a member of the school’s cross country and track teams. After joining the team in ninth grade, he began running in the mornings with his father, and the two have been partners ever since.
Glenn praised Oglethorpe’s diverse routes, but the pair’s favorite has been their summer morning runs on the courthouse road in Oglethorpe County. On their runs, the two have pushed themselves harder and grown in their respective strengths and endurance.
“It’s hard to run by yourself, especially during offseasons, because it’s hard to hold yourself accountable and keep running every day,” Cory said. “But when you’re running with somebody else, it’s easy to just keep motivated.”
Although the two are ultimately running for different reasons, they provide much needed support and motivation for one another.
“It’s just, I want to win, I want to win races, and I want to get my time down,” Cory said.
Glenn said he pushes himself for other reasons.
“It’s a great thing to be able to do for my mind. Running helps clear my mind, and it's just a great opportunity to get exercise and activity in for me,” he said. “So that just keeps me motivated, in and of itself.”
The pair has no plans to stop. They hope to make the trip to New York for an 8K race in July, but if not, they will be back at the starting line of next year’s Restoration Run.