Forest Grove Elementary School once again hosted the South End Cross Country Run on Thursday, May 17.
The competition saw students from Grades 2 to 7 from Forest Grove Elementary, 100 Mile Elementary, Mile 108 Elementary, Horse Lake Elementary, Eliza Archie Memorial School, Lac La Hache Elementary and students from SD27’s GROW Distance Learning program participate in the event.
The students had to complete one lap around the soccer field, which was 250 metres, as well as complete an entire course filled with hills, which was one kilometre.
Ty Lytton, principal of Forest Grove Elementary School, said that depending on which grade students were in, they ran different distances. Those in Grades 2 and 3 ran one kilometre, while those in Grades 4 and 5 ran one and a half kilometres, and the Grade 6 and 7 students ran two and a half kilometres.
Lytton says that it was exceptional that the event continued this year - and thanked the Forest Grove community for their continued support of the event.
“It’s great to have all the kids together.”
Not even rain could dampen the competition with students running in the rain and the brief bits of sunshine the area enjoyed Thursday.
“It is fortunate that the sun is shining right now and hopefully it stays like this all day,” Lytton remarked during a sunny break for the otherwise rainy weather.
More students had come to the event than had in recent years, said Lytton. One of the students who participated and placed high in his age category was Ben Nash, a Grade 4 student who attends 100 Mile Elementary. Nash placed third in the competition.
“Cause I like running and I’ll do it every year and I did all year before,” Nash said, explaining why he participated.
Nash was happy to finish third in the competition.
“I think it’s great, but this is the second time I got third place.”
Nash says he wants to go for either second or first place the next time he goes to the event.
Another student, this time a Grade 7 student from Forest Grove Elementary, Willoe Denees, stated that she participated because she thinks that she is good at running,
“I am also pretty fast,” Denees remarked.
Denees says that she began running when she was in kindergarten, and says that this competition makes her happy.
“Feels pretty good.”
