William & Nate Travel

Nate Chamberlain

Nate Chamberlain

Nate helps people leverage their existing technology to be more productive, collaborative, and communicative. He also blogs at NateChamberlain.com

In September, William and I joined more than 2,300 runners and walkers at one of Kansas City’s most beloved traditions – the Kansas City Zoo Run. Each year, the Zoo Run highlights a different animal, and this year’s theme was Run for the Lions.

The event featured a 4-mile race and a 1-mile fun run, with proceeds supporting the Kansas City Zoo’s conservation efforts. It’s no surprise the race sells out every year – it’s a perfect mix of community, cause, and course.

For us, this race carried extra significance this year. The Zoo Run was our fourth event in the Kansas City Classics Series – a collection of six long-standing local races that celebrate the history and spirit of running in the metro. 2025 is our first year officially participating in the series.

To complete the series, you need to finish five of the six races, and with Thanksgiving Day on the horizon, we’re gearing up for our fifth and final run. That means we’ll soon be earning the Kansas City Classics medal, a symbol of a year’s worth of miles, memories, and improving our wellbeing through community events in and around Kansas City. Here’s our path to completing the Classics this year. Select one of the first three to read our posts about those races:

• Groundhog Run 5K
• Hospital Hill Run
• Tiblow Trot 5K
• Kansas City Zoo Run
• Thanksgiving Day 5K (up next in Nov 2025)

Our Results

This was our third consecutive year participating in the Kansas City Zoo Run and both William and I finished with our fastest pace yet for this course.

• Nate: Finished in 32:20 (8:05/mile pace)
• William: Finished in 38:33 (9:38/mile pace)

We both pushed hard and came away proud of our efforts. The Zoo Run isn’t just about speed, though; it’s about being part of something bigger. Sharing the course with thousands of others, knowing we’re helping support wildlife conservation, running along paths we also spend 60+ hours volunteering on each year, and adding another chapter to our running journey made it a day to remember.

Next (and final) stop in the Kansas City Classics Series for 2025: the Thanksgiving Day 5K. One more race, one more finish line, and then we’ll be able to hang that Kansas City Classics medal around our necks.

Until then, we’ll keep logging the miles and chasing the joy that comes with running together.

Current fundraising focus

Support us in our runs by donating to our fundraiser for KC Pet Project.

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