It was love at first sight when Karen and Don Karl found themselves furiously stuffing race flyers into the Pikes Peak Road Runners' "Long Run" newsletter.

Oh, they'd been married a long time, but in that assembly line, in a flurry of paper and activity, they found something that made their new home in Colorado Springs feel a little more like home. They found community.

"One of the guys that runs in our running circle at Salsa Brava, Domenick D'Amico, suggested we come down and help with the newsletter," Karen Karl said.

"We said OK and that kind of started it," said Don.

Since then, the Karls - who are retired - have contributed hundreds (maybe thousands) of volunteer hours to running in Colorado Springs. This year, they've put in about 50 hours each volunteering at Pikes Peak Road Runner events, plus 100 hours on the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon's hard-working operations team.

What keeps them coming back?

"I think it's the friends you make," Karen said. "We're all there for a worthwhile endeavor."

At the Pikes Peak Marathon, Don was positioned about mile from the finish. His was the first face exhausted runners saw as they emerged from the woods. It was an experience he won't forget.

"I spent the whole day there high-fiving runners and offering encouragement," he said. "Just the involvement. Helping people. It feels like I'm really contributing. And it gets you outdoors to these different running venues. It's nice being there."

For their contributions to the running community, Karl and Karen have been selected as the Colorado Running Company's "In the Pack" community heroes. They've earned gift certificates from the Colorado Running Company and Roman Villa restaurant.

The Karls moved to Colorado Springs from Albuquerque in 2005.

"We ran down there, but we weren't involved in running community," Karen said. "You would see some of the same people at the races, but you didn't know anybody. It's much more fun when you know people."

"It just seems like here people more willing to help out," Don said.

They met about 50 years ago as students at Michigan State University. Karen needed a date for the party and Don was "meandering down the hall minding my own business. I didn't have anything else to do, and it was a good thing."

Don has been hooked on running since high school. Karen started when she was 40. They like exploring the area's trails together.

"We do like the trails in Garden of the Gods, and we have a dirt path at Glen Eagle we enjoy," Karen said.

But their favorite run is the monthly Full Moon Run in Red Rocks Park.

"At night, with the full moon shining it is really fun," Don said.