About 150 runners and walkers put in a 5K at the 2010 Colorado Parkinson's Awareness Run Sunday at America the Beautiful Park. See photo album here.

The run served as a fundraiser for the Colorado Parkinson Foundation (http://www.parkies.org/), which helps Colorado Springs residents who suffer from the debilitating disease.

Andrew Abdella, a former Falcon High School and Western State College runner, captured the top spot with a time of 18 minutes, 14 seconds. Abdella said he's getting back into shape (his best 5K time is 16:09) and is considering a half marathon later this year, possibly the American Trail Discovery half in September.

"I want to work up to a marathon in the next few years," Abdella said.

The big performance of the day was turned in by Rich Hessek, 44, of Colorado Springs, who set a new record in the men's 40-49 age group. Hessek placed second overall with a time of 19:05, beating the old mark by nearly three minutes.

Josh Holland, 34, placed third, a step behind Hedek.

Edelina Calle, 36, of Colorado Springs, crossed the finish line in 23:17 to win the women's race. It was her second win in two weeks. Calle won the Cut to the Chase 5K on April 10. Shelley Cole, 36, finished second in 24:00. Janet Godwin, 42, was third (24:35).

Spring returned in time for the start of the race, which found runners bouncing to the music of Johnny Graves and the Blue Waves (they rocked it).

But the day was really about Parkinson's awareness.

To make a donation to this http://www.active.com/donate/parkies

The following is from the race website: 

Major Dan Harding was diagnosed at the age of 33 with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. He was initially concerned about how he was going to manage this terminal and incurable disease and still provide for his family. He learned a few things that have opened his eyes and helped him put it all in perspective: a renewed emphasis on health and fitness, a healthy diet; be actively involved in his medical treatment, added yoga, tai chi, and physical therapy to his regimen.

Harding writes: I was diagnosed at the age of 33 with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD). “Parkinson’s disease is for grandfathers not dads,” I thought. Finding myself mid-career with a daughter in diapers, I was initially concerned about how I was going to manage this terminal and incurable disease and still provide for my family. I find myself driven to do my part to help researchers identify the cause of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and develop a cure. I'm uniting my pursuit of better fitness and the desire to help the PD cause by hosting a 5K run/3K walk fundraiser April 6th, 2008. The biggest lesson I've learned is that I can't do this all myself--I need a team of specialists to help me manage my PD and I need your help to raise funds and find a cure for Parkinson's disease.