Elementary school fun run takes off in Thompson Falls

THOMPSON FALLS – As the gun went off with a bang, the young kids of Thompson Falls also took off with a bang during the annual Elementary School Fun Run.

Kids from the grades of kindergarten through sixth grade lined up near Previs Field to begin the one-mile trek around the track, to the Thompson Falls Senior Center and back, pushing themselves to get the fastest time possible.

Dresses, snow boots, superman costumes and athletic gear could be spotted as the kids flooded the racing track. No matter what the kids were dressed in, the goal was typically the same – to beat their time from last year.

With a turnout of 90 percent, both Randy Simon and Sarah Naegeli said the numbers this year were good.

Naegeli explained the kids are responsible for running a mile either in their PE class or they can choose the fun run.

“What we tell them is you have to run the mile. If you don’t do this, you’ll have to do the mile in PE inside in the gym. So it’s kind of a choice that they make,” said Naegeli.

The run equips kids with their own marathon number, making it a fun and more official running experience. Naegeli said the run helps show the kids what both cross country and track are like.

Not only did students hit the ground running, cross-country kids from both high school and junior high coached the young kids through the run. Teachers, elementary principal Len Dorscher, siblings and superintendent Jason Slater also participated in the run.

The goal of the fun run is not only to allow the kids to do the mile in a fun, race-like atmosphere but it also teaches them that exercise can be fun.

“It’s to maybe teach kids a little bit more about exercise – that it’s fun, that it’s not torturous. It allows kids to find out that some kids do have the ability in that area,” said Simon. “A lot of kids maybe only want to be a football player or a basketball player but we have some kids that are really good at this. You watch them and you’ll see some kids that have figured it out already – this is what they’re good at.”

The girls kicked off the day at 1:45 p.m. and the boys hit the ground running around 2:15 p.m.

At the finish line, labeled with a banner, the top seven racers in both the girls and boys group received medals.

As the runners funneled into the finish, each one was accounted for, placing them in the rank of finishers.

According to Naegeli, a cross country team is seven people and so seven medals were handed out.

“As soon as they get the results, I compare them and get a most improved from last year to this year,” said Naegeli.

Once the kids finished a run, a mad dash to the water began, each kid filling up their cups and rehydrating for the rest of the day to come.

Although it is unknown when exactly the fun run began, Simon said the run has been happening for around ten years.