We surveyed runners registered for the Polar Dash 2010 to find out what some of their personal reasons were for chosing to run this 5K/10K on New Year's Day.  The reasons are inspiring!

20. In honor of KELLY NAFUS, someone who was loved by everyone, with a heart of gold. kelly was so very excited to do the polar dash and told everyone to do it with her... Kelly had herself signing up for the Polar Dash as her last post. Now our family is all doing it in honor of her one month after her passing, but I know she'll be doing it with us up in heaven and cheering us on with that huge smile of hers. WE LOVE YOU KELLY NAFUS and here’s your Polar Dash run.

19. Because I am from Texas, running anything longer than 10 feet in temperatures lower than 50 F is an achievement

18. The internet and local grocery stores just don't seem to pan out in the dating department, so my aunt and I figure there has to be a few eligible bachelors in a crowd of runners! So, Polar Dash- here we come! Hubba, hubba

17. Because I lost my Monster gloves from last year and need a new pair.

16. Gives my non-running spouse an opportunity to massage frozen feet

15. I am running because New Years Day is my birthday and I want to start my next trip around the sun with a 5K run!!

14. After 20 years of talking about, planning and thinking about a running program - this seems like a good time to actually start one.

13. I am running the Polar Dash because I love my fiance enough to run at all (each time is a killer but I'm up to 5K), she loves me enough to run in the cold (she's a freeze baby), it's the last day of being 45 yrs. old for me and it's a great way to start the New Year in preparation for a half marathon in April!

12. To celebrate my Father surviving triple bypass heart surgery this past year. He is doing great!!

11. Because I love to WATCH "The Biggest Loser" but I never want to be ON "The Biggest Loser".

10. So my husband can stand out in the cold and cheer me on and maybe one of these times I will be able to convince him to join me at another funtastic Team Ortho event

9. My reason for running the Polar Dash is to encourage my fiance who just started running with me on November 18th! It will be our first race together

8. Because after a year without running I gained 30 pounds. Training for the 5k (yep I need to train for it) is the first step to loosing that and, more importantly, getting healthy again in 2010. Thank you Team Ortho!

7. Because I am 300 pounds and the Polar Dash is the kick start for me doing the whole series and losing 60lbs along the way..That logic got my wife to sign up already

6. To get rid of the cheese curdles still hanging out on my thighs!

5. Because this year I work to make the man that I am and the one my daughter thinks I am into the same person.

4. Cause I got my wife a vacuum for Christmas... I better run!

3. To show my young son that pushing yourself and giving maximum effort you can accomplish ANYTHING!

2. To do something for myself during the Holiday season that doesn't have to do with food and makes me feel good afterward.

1. Run off my wedding hangover from the night before.