The legs don't quite work like they used to -- Karen Gilbert has come to terms with that.

"I remember when I was younger I could run a seven-minute mile out here," said Gilbert, 37, just minutes after completing the one-mile Centennial Fun Run July 8. "Let's just say those days have come and gone."

But for Gilbert, now a mother of three living in York, Pa., running Tuesday evenings on Colonial Drive has never been about time. Thirty years ago when she ran in the initial fun runs with her friends, it was simply about having fun, and now when she comes back to her old stomping grounds the focus is much the same.

"It's a tradition in the neighborhood, so these last couple years I've made a point of doing the runs when I come back to visit my parents," she said. "I'm going to let my two oldest (kids) try it at the end of the summer, which hopefully will be a fun family thing."

In reality, under the guidance of race director Arleen Dinneen, the Centennial Fun Run has turned into one big family reunion each summer for the past 30 years.

It all started back in 1978 when Dinneen challenged her then 7-year-old daughter, Shelly, and her friends to run a mile each week in the neighborhood and, if they did, at the end of the summer each would get a trophy. The next year a few more neighborhood children and parents showed up, attracted by fliers placed in their mailboxes.

And then, before Dinneen knew it, she had a full fledged race on her hands.

"It all started with me driving around the neighborhood in my car to map out a mile course and actually it wasn't even a true mile in the beginning. I just wanted to get them running in a fun atmosphere and there were certainly no plans for it to be like it is today," Dinneen said. "The kids said they liked it, so we kept it going and now every summer people keep showing up on Tuesday nights."

The run steadily grew over the years, to the point where it has now been holding steady at around 200 runners for nearly a decade. Many of the initial participants have grown up and moved away, replaced by new families and children, yet every now and then the old faces seem to find their way back to Dinneen's front lawn.

"It's a community event, almost like the yearly picnic, where everybody tries to come back no matter what may be going in their lives," said Brian Shadrick, who ran when he was a child, but before this summer hadn't participated in eight years.

Becky Allmon Moody, who was 11 when she did her first fun run, now participates with her two kids.

"It's low key and it's only a mile, so it caters to everyone," she said. "You can put the kids in a stroller and walk with them, then when they get older you can run together."

Dinneen has made a point of keeping the run kid-oriented, making sure to have numerous activities and giveaways to keep them excited to come back.

With the help of Howard County General Hospital, the run's main sponsor for the past 20 years, Dinneen has been able to give away things like beach towels and beach tote bags for those that participate in at least two runs. There are even smaller prizes such as keychains given out on a weekly basis.

"There are no prizes, and there never has been, for the person who wins the race. That's not the point of this whole thing," Dinneen said. "The idea is to encourage as many as possible and give out as much as possible. This is one of the few runs in the area that is meant for everyone."

Among the weekly post-race activities each summer there has been report card ice cream night, chalk night and visits by nonprofit organizations such as pets on wheels. There's even an awards ceremony and party after the final race of the summer, which is a partner's relay. This year's finale is scheduled for Aug. 12.

And while Dinneen, who greets runners at the finish line each week, has consistently been the face of the run for the past 30 summers, she makes sure to acknowledge the others that have made it all possible. Dinneen's children -- Tim, Shelly and Brent -- come consistently to help set up and clean up, as do the neighbors.

One neighbor in particular, Dave Fitzpatrick, has been in it for the long haul. Fitzpatrick was the run's original flag holder in the early years and each summer, even after a debilitating stroke in the early 90s, he's been out directing traffic.

"He was never a runner, but he's always loved to be out there," said Dinneen, who says Fitzpatrick still uses the same "raggedy" orange flag he did in the beginning. "His involvement really sums up the kind of community support that has kept this thing going."

Looking to the future, Dinneen says she doesn't foresee any big changes happening to the run anytime soon, claiming that she "wouldn't want to mess with a good thing." She did admit that there will come a day when she will hand over the reigns, but for now she's happy still being "the neighborhood mom."

"She's made this run what it is and it's because of her that it's such a community event," Shadrick said. "This is one of those things now that probably will never end. It's become a permanent part of the neighborhood."

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