Close to 170 runners and walkers arrived at Corinna Township Hall on a crisp, clear Saturday morning, Sept. 4, for the first ever Brandon Beckman Memorial 5K Run-Walk. Some were there for the exercise, but most came to remember the 21-year-old Sugar Lake man who died much too young last January in a car crash. The turnout surprised organizer Kristin Turner, who originally dreamed up the race simply as an activity geared for young adults, something she felt they didn’t have enough of in the lake community. But when Brandon’s mom, Cathy Beckman, approached her and she started advertising it as a run in his honor, the registrations came flooding in. "I think his friends were really looking for something," Beckman said. "It’s a way of continuing on with (Brandon’s) future." After nearly eight months since his death, she was looking for something as well. Well-meaning friends had suggested other memorial ideas, activities like a golf benefit that would raise money for military veterans. Even though he was a veteran, serving with the Marine Corps in the Iraq War, it just didn’t seem to fit. In fact nothing seemed to fit, until she heard about Turner’s run. Named for Brandon "It just hit me one day," Beckman said. "I asked if she would consider naming it after him next year and she said, ‘We can do it this year.’" The money from registration fees will go to the Sugar Lake Association to fight the invasive Eurasian water milfoil and curly leaf pondweed. "The only home (Brandon) ever had was on Sugar Lake. He loved the lake," his mother said. "He told me he used to dream of jumping in Sugar Lake when he was in Iraq." While he was not a passionate runner, jogging was always a part of his life whether training for boot camp or racing for fun. Brandon competed in his first 5K when he was 13 years old. Half marathon His mother had signed up for the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon near Duluth, which is part of the Grandma’s Marathon activities. The William Irvin 5K is held the Friday before the marathon, and Brandon and his dad, Doug Beckman, decided to try their hand at it. The Beckmans came back the next three years to race. "I was always amazed how he (ran) with such ease," Cathy Beckman said, admitting that running was never easy for her. Saturday’s route took runners and walkers close to the route Brandon used to run when training for the military, Beckman said. The group started a couple blocks north of the township hall on Ireland Avenue, turned right on 112th Street, then skirted the edge of the lake and headed back to where they started. Top three Daniel Turek, a 2006 Annandale High School graduate and former roommate of Brandon’s, was the first to cross the finish line. David Burd and Jeff Rivers were second and third respectively. The top three received certificates. Cathy Beckman walked the route while Brandon’s dad, though admittedly not a runner, jogged the 3.1-mile race. By the time registration closed Saturday, the Sugar Lake Association had raised about $3,000, and that is largely because of Brandon, Turner said. Before the race started, she announced the lake association’s intent to make the event an annual one. "So mark it on your calendar for every Labor Day weekend," she said.
