If you asked her today, Martina Ritchie may tell you that losing her job and finding running turned out well.

But 30 years ago, it didn't feel that way. Ritchie was new to Colorado Springs and unemployment wasn't in the plans.

"I didn't start running here until I lost my job, I was so depressed," she said. "My sister had started running a year before and she mentioned how good it made her feel."

She gave it a try, trotting a block or two around her neighborhood.

"I just had a pair of tennis shoes and regular shorts and a T-shirt," she said. "I'd go a couple of blocks and thought I'd die. But I was amazed how it made me feel."

On Saturday, Ritchie, who will soon turn 68, plans to toe the line with more than 1,000 runners in the 16th Take 5 in the Garden 5-mile and 5K run. Ritchie will tangle with the 5-miler.

Though she has more than 20 marathon finishes in prestigious races, including the New York, Chicago and Pikes Peak Marathon, she is always happy to catch a morning in the Garden of the Gods.

"I like the view," she said. "It is so beautiful there, so peaceful, even with a lot of runners. And it is a great training run for the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run."

Registration remains open for Take 5, the second leg in the five-race Grand Prix of Running. Learn more here.

Race director John O'Donnell said the Take 5 began with several friends sharing a six pack on the patio. One idea led to another and "we put it all together in an hour."

With the race starting just as the morning sun splashes on the Garden's red granite castles, the race is a must-do for anyone who loves to run or walk in beautiful settings.

The race begins on the park's eastern edge with runners making counter-clockwise loops through the Garden's hilly interior. The 5-mile route includes an out-and-back spur.

"A long time ago there was not nearly as many people," Ritchie said. "I don't know where they are coming from but there are more people running now."

Of course, the front of the pack can be extremely competitive. Last year XTERRA World Champion Michael Weiss posted a time of 15 minutes, 55 seconds in the 5K ... and placed second!

O'Donnell said there will be one big difference to this year's race format - on-site parking. Runners and spectators can park at Rock Ledge Ranch near the east entrance of the park.

On a photo-worthy spring morning, Ritchie strides easily to the finish of a training run in the Garden. With her long pig tails trailing from beneath her cap, she could have easily be mistaken for much younger person. It's a benefit of running, she says.

"I've done the Garden so many times, I could probably run with my eyes closed," she said. "The Take 5 is a great race. It's short, but there are plenty of hills for good training."