A crowd of 172 runners lined up before the starting line at the 5th annual Centennial Spring Classic Fun Run on the morning of April 28, ready to run 5K in support of funding school food programs across Terrace.
A horn blast at 10:30 a.m. jolted the pack forward from Centennial Christian School towards the start of the Howe Creek Trail, where the route then turned up on Eby Street and headed back down Sparks Street for a final sprint to the finish line.
Within the crowd were some extra-energetic kids who had already run the 1K, held prior to the main race with 20 young runners darting through the ‘”Pac-Man shaped” double-loop in the schoolyard.
With warm weather, sunshine, and a costume contest tied into the race, a number of runners put their best creative foot forward. Among those who dressed up were the Ragamuffin Runners, who used licorice gummies for black teeth and cocoa powder for freckles and dust in their clothing.
Some of the more competitive participants vied for the top finish in the 5K race this year, said Ella Ringma, assistant principal at Centennial Christian School.
“For the past couple years Connor Block has won it, but this year he’s out of town for a track meet in Prince Rupert. It’s going to be very curious who our top 10 are this year,” said Ringma, as she waited at the finish line after runners had taken off.
Seconds later, Connor’s younger brother Luke Block and local runner Adrienne Kaul became visible along Sparks Street, running neck-and-neck against each other. At the last moment, Block sprinted ahead of Kaul to cross the finish line first, making it just under the 20-minute mark.
After the race, participants lined up for a barbecue fundraiser at 11:30 a.m. to help raise funds for local school food programs across the city.
“That’s the mandate for our race, to raise funds for kids in our community,” said Ringma. “It just made sense for us to donate to everyone.”
There were also several prizes given out to runners, including prizes for best costume and a 10-foot paddleboard donated by TCSI Consulting Ltd. as a grand draw prize.
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