"Is that all you got?" my husband Mark asked.

The little trophy sitting alone on the kitchen counter was unique: a classy mounted onyx obelisk with a gold disk of runners straining toward the finish line.

Still, I knew what he meant. Sometimes I come home from races with some pretty nice perks.

Of course, my favorite race prize is cash. I don't often win at races offering money because money attracts speed. But when I win cash, I pretend I'm a professional athlete. I'm actually getting paid to run, even if my payday is only enough to buy a beer or new pair of running socks.

The next best thing to cash is something that spends like cash: a gift certificate or card. We sometimes go to dinner courtesy of a race award or random drawing prize, though my kids always make off with the Texas Road House card from the Butler Road Race.

Race sponsor's gifts are always good to win, too. Every time I mount my bike rack on the car, I thank Race for the Cure and Dick's Sporting Goods for the gift certificate that bought that handy piece of equipment. And I think I run just a little bit harder at the Gatorade-Steelers 5K knowing that I have a shot at winning game tickets.

If I can't win cash, give me something unique to remember the event. Winning an overall prize of a hand-carved plaque from Run with the Buffalo might be beyond my capabilities, but I can try for one of Cook Forest Half Marathon's handmade bowls, plates or mugs for overall and age-group winners.

Handmade doesn't necessarily mean professionally made. Adams Ridge 5K rewards overall and age -group winners with framed works of art drawn by third graders at Adams Elementary School.

The upcoming Courtney's Ice Cream Race offers ice-cream themed awards (as if getting to eat all the ice cream you want isn't reward enough.)

Race rewards aren't confined to competitive awards. It's fun to win a random drawing prize, especially for me because I'm not very lucky.

I used to love going to Allegheny Township 5K because race director Mary Ann Hazer always managed to collect more random drawing prizes than participants in the race. It might not be much, but everyone went home with something.

More democratic are the goody bags that come just for participating in some events. Most major marathons include bags of some sort, though for the $75 to $100 you should expect something. One of the best perks I've received for participating in an event is a well-made cooler bag from my neighborhood's Habitat for Humanity Ride-Run-Walk. And I got a T-shirt and free lunch, too.

Still, all the awards and perks are bonuses. The real reasons for running are far less material. But that's a topic for another day.

Saturday, 8 a.m.: Up-N-Running Group Run, Valencia. Ed's got the coffee on. 724-898-2525 or www.runpa.comSaturday, 8 a.m.: Canoe Creek Triathlon, Holidaysburg. half-mile swim, 10-mile bike rode, 5K run. 814-695-4467 or laurandt@holidaysburgareaymca.orgSaturday, 9 a.m.: St. Barnabas Medical Center 5K Run-Walk, Gibsonia. Individual and team competition, great post race picnic. 724-444-5512 or www.stbarnabas5k.comSaturday, 9 a.m.: Bob Swanson Memorial 5K Run, 2-Mile Walk, 1-Mile Fun Run, Mount Jewett. 814-778-5940 or kirbyp@penn.comSaturday: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training info meeting, Monroeville. 800-482-TEAM or www.teamintraining.org/mailSaturday, 7 p.m.: Debbie Green Memorial 5K Run-Walk for Leukemia, Wheeling, W.Va. RRCA National Championship, cash prizes, post-race pasta party. 740-859-0704Sunday, 10 a.m.: Greater Pittsburgh Road Runners Annual Picnic Run, South Park. Choice of 10K run, 2-mile walk, 1-mile walk. 412-653-1061Aug. 11, 9 a.m.: Brookline Breeze 5K Run and Fitness Walk, Brookline. USATF Three Rivers Association Open and Masters Championship. 412-531-9227Aug. 15, 7 p.m.: Courtney's Ice Cream Race 5K, Grove City. Rolling out-and-back course with more than 90 gallons of post-race ice cream. 724-458-4435 or www.runhigh.comAug. 19, 6 p.m.: Indiana Road Runners Club Run for the Trail 7K Run-Walk, Indiana. Run on Dilltown Ghost Town Trail. 724-349-7402 or jswauger@comcast.net

<B>Ford City 5K, June 30:</B> Shane Sarver, 1st Overall M, 15:45; Ben Hutterer, 2nd Overall M, 16:24; Brendan Reilly, 3rd Overall M, 16:31; Mary Gill, 1st Overall W, 18:11; Tristen Rankin, 2nd Overall, 18:21; Cory Steinhagen, 2nd 16-19 M, 17:16; Tim Monfre, 1st 45-49 M, 17:33; Owen Venesky, 3rd 16-19 M, 17:41; Timothy Wyant, 1st 35-39 M, 18:37; Brian Forester, 2nd 35-39 M, 18:40; Rich Makin, 1st 50-54 M, 18:41; Jon McCullough, 3rd 45-49 M, 18:44; Dillon Schwertz, 1st 13-15 M, 18:51; Richard Stewart, 2nd 40-44 M, 19:55Cameron Harp, 2nd 13-15 M, 20:58; Kristen Prazenica, 3rd 16-19 W, 21:06; Silvio Andreassi, 3rd 30-34 M, 21:23; Brian Brown, 3rd 20-24 M, 21:41; Robert Crawford, 3rd 60-64 M, 21:58; Dave King, 3rd 55-59 M, 22:26; Megan Prazenica, 1st 20-24 W, 22:48; Melissa Kemp, 3rd 20-24 W, 23:03; Kayla Zboran, 1st 11 and under W, 23:07; Connie Hoffer, 2nd 40-34 W, 23:25; Tom Dunbar, 1st 65-69 M, 24:29; Janet Kean, 1st 35-39 W, 26:40; Ryan Miller, 3rd 11 and under M, 28:42; Doe Augustine, 2nd 60-64 W, 36:08; Renee Crossman, 3rd 55-59 W, 37:10; Lorraine Smith, 3rd 65 and over W, 47:17Brian Tackett, 18:03; Mike Fugate, 18:45; Andrew Rupp, 20:35; David Cook, 21:06; John Kean, 21:36; Larry Lutz, 21:40; Curtis Peters, 22:03; Chuck Sarver, 22:22; Patrick Reitz, 22:32; Mark Krenitsky, 23:25; Chuck Moody, 23:25; Buddy Turner, 23:31; Garrett Sigler, 23:57; Christine Marty, 24:03; Stephen Posney, 24:22; Kemper May, 24:40; Robert Cook, 24:53; Dave Gifford, 25:12; Michael Glew, 25:18; Joe Zboran, 25:27; Alison Defurio, 26:07; Marc Miller, 26:17; Beth Zboran, 26:49; Micci Hutterer, 27:31Frank Prazenica, 27:58; Jerry Burns, 28:25; Erik May, 28:38; Heidi Christy, 28:51; J.R. Turkovic, 29:20; Matthew Callihan, 30:27; Nicole Miller, 31:09; Kristi Kerr, 31:45; Skylar Kerr, 32:10; Paula Gatto, 32:11; Henry May, 32:42; Kyle Zboran, 32:50; Roger W. Walker, 33:36; Brianna Browning, 33:40; Alicia Grabiec, 35:03; Lara Essey, 36:06; Cordell Delzer, 36:25; Clara Sigler, 37:42; Terri Delzer, 38:06; John Mitchell, 38:07Rick Mendenhall, 38:29; Jackie Fahlor, 40:44; Dona Vensel, 40:45; Bill Kerr, 40:55; Sarah Grafton, 41:01; Darlene Callihan, 41:59; Danielle Delzer, 43:52; Jordan McAuley, 44:35; Amy Trempus, 45:21; Marion Marty, 45:43; Rachel Delzer, 46:12; Bobbi Kerr, 46:32; Wendy Mendenhall, 49:14; Jalana Sigler, 49:49; Brenda Gordan, 52:38; Gail Sigler, 52:47; Susan Fauset, 58:46<B>Butler County Family YMCA Triathlon, July 7:</B> Jeremy Cornman, 1st Overall M, 44:50; Jennifer Tepsic, 1st Overall W, 49:33; Alex Fertelmes, 3rd 25-29 M, 51:49; Robert Dibella, 1st 50-54 M, 52:12; Joella Baker, 2nd 35-39 W, 56:22; Anne Conn, 2nd 40-44 W, 56:50; Ryanne Palermo, 2nd 20-24 W, 59:59; Tom Murray, 1st 65-69 M, 1:04:34; Kristy Spreng, 2nd 25-29 W, 1:10:51; Caitlin Lenberger, 2nd 19 and under W, 1:19:00Tony Kurtz, 54:12; Rick Becker, 54:14; J.C. Dickson, 54:45; David Graham, 54:56; Lee Anderson, 56:22; Matthew Getsay, 56:34; Todd Allman, 56:49; Mike McCullough, 57:54; Jim Gallagher, 58:08; Bruce Barnes, 59:44; Jonathan Fleming, 1:01:23; Ron Hartle, 1:01:43; Bruce Hall, 1:01:58; Frank Keally, 1:02:35; George Watterson, 1:02:42; Michael Fiorina, 1:03:13; Eric Huff, 1:04:00Ryan Henrie, 1:05:23; Collin Randall, 1:06:18; William Kelly, 1:06:35; Lisa Myers, 1:07:59; Dan Lynch, 1:08:17; Darrin Grove, 1:11:15; John Reddick, 1:17:17; Louis Yossa, 1:12:40; Natalie Kuffer, 1:14:10; Jason Rinaldo, 1:17:37; Ken Radall, 1:20:01; Jennifer McFarland, 1:20:50; Bonnie Jean Webb, 1:27:50; Keith Webb, 1:32:51; Chris Cutone, 1:34:27Send comments and suggestions to: 435 Cherry Valley Road, Saxonburg, Pa. 16056. Phone or fax: 724-352-4395. Email: bigp16@connecttime.netPat Neubert is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.