Despite its name, there’s nothing leisurely about the pace of the annual Stanley Switlik Elementary School Jog-A-Thon, in which dozens of kids go all-out to earn their bragging rights as the fastest in class, cheered on by a mob of spectating parents.
On Nov. 5, youngsters toted their lap-counting sticks around the “track” on the school’s field as fast as their little legs would carry them, hoping to earn a coveted spot in the “run-off” a week later. Gathering the fastest runners from each grade for a lap-a-palooza, the Nov. 14 finale decided winners to be honored at a special school assembly on Jan. 9.
For more than 35 years, the Jog-A-Thon has seen tens of thousands of dollars raised annually to support classroom supplies and field trip expenses at the elementary school, all while promoting physical fitness and good-natured competition.
Photos by Ginger Sayer and Allison Sayer.
