North’s second annual Tiger 5K, organized by North’s Boosters Club, brought the community together in support of North’s student-athletes and athletics department Sunday, Oct. 26. at Dickinson Stadium.
The event included a Fun Run, costume contest, and 5K, with the addition of a vintage North merchandise stand and live music from student performers.
Starting the day off at 9:30 a.m., the Fun Run featured kids aged ten and under racing a full lap around the football field.
After the Fun Run concluded, 5K runners and spectators entered the stadium to prepare for the main event. Meanwhile, the newly established costume contest took place. Students and community members joined together in the spirit of the Halloween season, and three lucky participants, dressed as a donut, roadkill, and shark, walked away with gift cards donated from Cookie Monstah.
Around 15 minutes before the start of the 5K, North’s girls’ track 4×400 squad led dynamic stretching on the field to help all participants to prepare for the race.
Finally, at 10:00 a.m., runners, joggers, and walkers all raced out through the gates of Dickinson Stadium and began their journey on the course.
Junior Harrison Schmidt said, “The uphills were rough, but other than that it was good.”
According to Schmidt, in the previous Tiger 5K, he walked and ran through the course. This year, he persevered and ran the entire race from start to finish.
When racers came back through onto the track for the final stretch of the race, they were cheered on by student-athlete volunteers, including the girls’ soccer, boys’ soccer, and girls’ cross country teams.
Junior Anya Williams, a member of girls’ cross country, said she was happy they were given the opportunity to help with the event, and supporting North athletics filled them with a sense of gratitude. She added, “We stood near the arch at the exit of the track and led people where to go when the race started and ended.”
Sophomore Molly Abley, another member of girls’ cross country, added, “We also cheered for the little kids when they ran.”
The overall top finisher was junior Carl Munshi, a student at South, who earned a 17:16 time.
After the race concluded, North’s Boosters Club handed out prizes by age category. The organization then announced raffle winners and invited all participants to attend a post-race party at Tango Mango, one of the event’s sponsors.
Senior Abigail Warren said, “It was really fun and I had a good time talking to the athletes on the sides. They had a lot of energy. We had a lot of energy. I did win the raffle, and I’m very surprised. I didn’t even hear my name get called but everyone started freaking out.”
According to Sheila Butze, president of the Boosters Club, the event was a major success, with over 375 runners signed up to participate in the 5K. The Boosters Club exceeded its goal for fundraising by raising over $30,000 in total.
“We had so many more participants than last year, so many more students involved volunteering, it’s been a great day,” said Butze.
