Bristow Run Elementary Holds Successful Panther Pride 5K Race

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Students, teachers, parents and community members arrived early at at Bristow Run Elementary on the morning of April 6 to participate in the Panther Pride 5K run/walk to benefit the school’s Global Schools Network Foundation pilot program.

“It’s going so wonderfully,” said volunteer marketing organizer Amy Hodges. “We have 180 people attending, Zumba and all the different vendors."

The atmosphere was cheerful on that sunny, yet chilly Saturday morning with people of all ages eager to run.

“We work here and our kids go to school here,” said Lisa Riello-Jones, first grade teacher at Bristow Run Elementary. “My husband and daughter do Girls on the Run, which is a 5K.”

Riello-Jones said her husband and daughter plan to run the 5K, while she plans to walk the course with their son.

Six-year-old Nick Borowski was excited to run his first 5K, although he purported to have already run a marathon.

“I ran the Marine Corp Marathon before,” said Nick ,“the one- mile one.”

Nick was planning on running with his friend, seven-year-old Trevor Sterling. Both boys' fathers accompanied them in the race.

At the starting line, Assistant Principal Scott Baldwin spoke about how successful he believed the turnout to have been.

“The first event seems like a success. We will possibly do one in the fall of next year,” Baldwin told the crowd.

Baldwin, who established the Panther Pride 5K at Bristow Run, had previously organized the Cougar 5K at Manassas Park Elementary School along with his wife Audrey, a teacher at Manassas Park.

Just 17 minutes after the race began, someone was already crossing the finish line. First-place winner Andrew Johnson of Morris Farms, Gainesville said he had not heard about the race until Friday.

“I just saw this yesterday at the Running Store. I run through this area everyday, so I said, ‘I’ll sign up.’”

Johnson has been recently running 5Ks as part of his training for the Nashville Rock N Roll Marathon.

Miguel Bustillo, Jr., an Osbourn Park High School student and wrestler, won first place in the male under-18 category with a time of 22:35. Bustillo said he’s, “not really training,” but running a marathon is on his “bucket list” of things to do before he graduates high school.

At the finish line, Principal Kim Werle handed ribbons to everyone who completed the race: record setters, teachers brandishing blue pom-poms, the smallest runners and even family pets.

Members of the Girls on the Run 9 year-old Samantha Hodges and Lauren Jared both made great times at 30 minutes, shaving approximately two minutes off their previous records. The girls claimed that, while they did not specifically train for the Panther Pride 5K, they have kept their endurance up playing soccer.

During the awards ceremony, winners in categories divided by age and gender received gift certificates to One Life Fitness, the Running Store, Sports Authority and Dicks Sporting Goods.

Before the race, runners warmed up to Zumba, visited community health booths sponsored by Nokesville Fire & Rescue, Prince William Sheriff’s Department, Osbourn Park High School’s student nursing program and local businesses such as Kiddie Academy.

Some families stuck around until 10 a.m. to speak with the health-conscious vendors, to allow children play in the bouncy castle, or to hear if they won the raffle prizes.

Sponsors included the Running Store at Atlas Walk, Kiddie Academy of Gainesville, One Life Fitness on Limestone Drive, Sound Wave Entertainment, S.M.I.L.E. Early Education, Haymarket Bicycles, American Dental Associates, Apogee Integration, VIF International Education, Vulcan Materials Company, Data Tactics Corp., Sheetz of Haymarket, Wegmans of Gainesville, Fun Services, Dick’s Sporting Goods of Gainesville, and Rosenberg’s Orthodontics Gainesville.

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