New Record Set for Participation at 2024 Spring ISD Fun Run And Wellness Fair at Planet Ford Stadium
A cool early-morning start gave way to a mild, overcast spring day on Saturday as runners, walkers, strollers and their supporters arrived at Planet Ford Stadium – some as the sun was still coming up – for Spring ISD’s 2024 Fun Run and Wellness Fair. After last year welcomed more than 200 participants, this year’s total of nearly 300 registered runners and walkers set a new record for participation after its post-pandemic relaunch.
Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa got in the spirit with her colorful feather boas and tutu, and greeted the crowd before the official start of the race, saying how excited she was at this year’s turnout.
“You know, in Spring ISD, we study really hard, we work really hard, but we also have fun,” Hinojosa said. “As a district, we want to focus on academic excellence, but also, we know how important it is to be physically and mentally fit, so welcome to our annual Fun Run!”
This year’s event celebrated participants’ “Inner Hero,” and many dressed in clothes or even costumes that evoked their favorite super heroes and role models.
For district mom Kimberly Claiborne and her son Zion, who is currently in sixth grade at Spring Leadership Academy, it was matching Black Panther shirts that helped inspire them both to run their best and bring out their inner hero.
“It’s fun,” Claiborne said as she and her son relaxed on the field after the race. “You know, as they get older, they like to hang out with their friends, so it’s good that we’ve found something that we can do together, because he and I both like to run, and so just us bonding and being able to do that together is fun, especially as he gets older.”
With their matching black and neon green running capes, the campus with the highest participation – by a country mile – was Reynolds Elementary, which brought members of its campus running club to the event.
“At Reynolds, we consider ourselves a community, and that’s how I see it. I think it was mostly about just coming together as a community, but having fun, too,” the running club’s organizer and Reynolds teacher Cassie Martinez said.
Also well-represented on the course was Heritage Elementary School, where first-year PE Teacher Victoria Vargas helped her students prepare for the race, registering about a dozen of them to join her and participate on Saturday morning.
“We’re pumped!” Vargas said while standing at the starting line with a group of her students, just moments before the air horn sounded and sent them on their way. “We’ve been prepping for this since October, every Tuesday, after school from 4 to 5, we run, we train, and this is the big day that we’ve been working towards.”
Heritage fifth grader Maigan Hardy was apprehensive, but knew her PE teacher had prepared them well for the day.
“I’m a little bit scared,” Hardy said, “but I think we got this!”
The 5K and 1.5-mile run/walk events were paired with another annual event, Spring ISD’s Wellness Fair, hosted by the Spring ISD HR department and showcasing wellness vendors from around the community. That event was free of charge to anyone – both runners and the public.
Spring High School CTE teacher Stephanye Weathersby was out with a group of her psychology and counseling pathway students, who were fulfilling a requirement for an industry-based certification.
“They have to work a health fair, and it just so happened that we were having one,” Weathersby said, “so it’s a great opportunity for them.”
Full race results for both the 5K and 1.5-mile events can now be found online.
Source: Spring ISD
