Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Darter Dash winners to receive unique ceramic awards for 5K + 10K races
Reading time: 2 minutes
Runners lacing up for this year’s Darter Dash at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve are racing for more than bragging rights. Top finishers will take home a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted ceramic Vermilion Darter — a tribute to the endangered fish the preserve was created to protect.
What is the Darter Dash?
The Darter Dash is a 5K and 10K race that’s been held at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve since 2012, drawing runners to the Pinson preserve known for its rare biodiversity.
“Turkey Creek Nature Preserve has remarkable biodiversity and is home to the Vermilion Darter and several other endangered and imperiled species.
“It’s especially fitting that the winners of the Darter Dash receive a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted ceramic Vermilion Darter, an award as unique and special as the preserve and the species we’re working to protect.”
Darryl Washington, Jefferson County Greenways
The story behind the ceramic fish trophies
The ceramic fish tradition traces back to artist Arnie Rutkis, who created and donated the fish mold years ago as a distinctive option for Darter Dash awards.
This year, Misty Whitsitt, a volunteer with Friends of Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, used that same mold to hand-make 25 ceramic fish — enough to present to the top male and female finishers in each age group across both the 5K and 10K.
The fish were painted through an art therapy program run by InToto Creative Arts, an organization that works with vulnerable communities.
Darter Dash info
What: Darter Dash 5K and 10K, with hand-painted ceramic Vermilion Darter awards for top finishers in each age group
When: Sept. 26
Where: Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, Pinson
