COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Over 400 community members ran in the Brazos Running Company's annual "Firecracker 5K" run to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Participants ran a little over three miles near Texas A&M on Tuesday morning.
It was the Waldon family's first time running in a 5K.
Vince Waldon ran with his two sons, but they're used to staying safe while running in the heat.
They said they run in the community all the time.
"This is something we have always wanted to do as a family," Vince Waldon said. "This is our first run we've had a chance to sign up for, even though we run a lot in the community."
The Brazos Running Company has hosted this event for 10 years, but this is the second year the run has been hosted at the shop's new location in Century Square.
The owner, Mike Nugent, said he was happy to see the community members show up.
But with the heat, Nugent said he had to implement water stations and misters to keep people safe.
"The heat is a concern in Texas, and on the course we had aid stations. And you ran past them at mile one and mile two," Nugent said.
But for families like the Waldon's, the run meant more than just staying safe.
The family said they spent about a week preparing for the run.
Vinson Waldon said it was a great accomplishment, and Zach Waldon said they are looking forward to competing in more running events.
"It was a huge milestone for us, one of our goals was to run a 5K," Vinson said.
Other ways to stay safe while running in the heat is to stay hydrated and run early or late in the day, according to Nugent.