Mike Wolanin | The Republic Kids Fun Run participants and spectators take shelter under the stage at Mill Race Park before the annual Kids Fun Run in Columbus, Ind., Friday. The Kids Fun Run was canceled due to inclement weather.
When Corbin Lynch doesn’t like running when he’s wet, the 5-year-old said he felt Friday’s strong storms would give him an advantage at Mill Race Park.
“The wind doesn’t bother me because it pushes me to the finish line,” the son of Matt and Kelli Lynch said as he waited for the Kid’s Fun Run to get underway.
But a moment later, when the family was informed the opening event of the Mill Race Marathon was about to be cancelled, Corbin’s infectious exuberance turned to tears of disappointment.
Before the cancellation was announced at 5:49 p.m., the parking lot adjacent to the Mill Race amphitheater had been full for over a half-hour. As of noon Thursday, there were 1,112 children registered for the five running events for children ages two through 12.
Among the many volunteers were adults accustomed to running in all types of weather. A number of them expressed confidence the Kids Fun Run would proceed without incident.
But when ferocious wind gusts intermittently roared through the park, many jumped and gasped. Broken limbs and foliage debris, as well as trees that looked like they might snap in half, motivated both organizers and parents to reassess the worsening situation.
When the Kids Fun Run was finally called off, event coordinator Kim Bennett said she felt devastated.
“We tried as hard as we could to keep it on as long as possible,” Bennett said. “But with the wind gusts, there have been reports of downed trees in this general vicinity, as well as in other areas of the county.”
Following the cancellation, parents and supporters began inquiring whether the Kids Fun Run would be rescheduled. Bennett said that subject wasn’t discussed Friday because organizers and public safety officials were too busy trying to clear the park and get families home safely.
On Thursday, Mill Race Marathon director Randy Stafford was asked about the possibility of the Kid’s Fun Run being cancelled. At that time, Stafford said the only thing that would cause a cancellation would be lightning.
“Runners are a little nutty,” Stafford said with a chuckle. “We’re trying to instill that into some of the younger runners. If you get wet, you get wet.”
While a number of adult runners agreed with Stafford that their enthusiasm can make them a little nutty, they became quite reasonable and understandably cautious when asked to take their children to safety.
“Our plan all along was: ‘Wind? Rain? We’ll do it!’ Bennett said. “But who would have thought we would feel the remnants of Hurricane Helena as early as we did in Indiana? This was a tough, heart-breaking decision.”
While some might view Friday’s cancelled event as insignificant to the overall marathon, Stafford is not one of them. In fact, he describes the Kids Fun Run as vital to all events because children are the future of the marathon.
“Over the years, we are now starting to see some kids who did the early Fun Runs now participating in the 5K,” Stafford said. “It gets them to where they have had good experiences. They get excited about running. It’s something they find out they can do, and can continue doing for the rest of their lives.”
For example, eight-year-old Lily Hogan was telling her dad during the drive to the park that she was seriously considering joining the cross-country team at Richards Elementary School next year, father Nick Hogan said.
“Getting kids excited about being active,” Hogan said. “I think that’s positive.
The Kids Fun Run has also helped finance those grade school cross-country competitions within the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.
Grade schools are provided an incentive to get their children to the event. Each elementary school with 20 or more participants is awarded a $250 gift certificate for sports and exercise equipment. The preschools receive $75.
Additionally, elementary schools are sorted into three categories: small, medium and large. The school with the highest participation rate in each category receives a $700 gift certificate and the second highest receives $500. The preschool with the highest participation rate receives $200.
