ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — Are You Faster than a 5th Grader? After a 4 year suspension, a local track club is returning its annual race.
- Fast Track Lamont is reviving its annual race, 'Are You Faster Than a 5th Grader,' after a 4-year hiatus.
- The race serves as a major fundraiser to support young athletes' travel to national championships.
- The local track club has been active for nearly 18 years, involving students from Lamont Elementary and Arvin High School.
- COVID-19 caused a suspension of the event, but community participation and sponsorships are now encouraged.
- Sign-ups for the race will open next week on RunSignUp.com.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Get ready to lace up your running shoes! And for a good reason. A local track club from Lamont is bringing their annual “Are You Faster Than a 5th Grader” Race.
For about 18 years, Fast Track Lamont has been an avenue for young athletes who enjoy running.
"Ever since I was small, I’ve wanted to become good at the sport, and I’ve just been growing as the years go by," said Arvin High School Student Damian Plancarte.
Plancarte is just one of the students in the club founded by Coach Carl Hatley. The club is comprised of students from both Lamont Elementary School District and Arvin High School.
Each year, the club travels out of the state to participate in the National Cross-Country Nationals. To make ends meet, they hold different fundraisers, and this year, the club is bringing back its most popular event—the "Are You Faster Than a 5th Grader Race?"
"We did three consecutive years, and we actually had some 5th graders win the race back then, but then after COVID, it was suspended for a couple of years, and I’m just now getting it back," explained Coach Hatley.
Now that it's back, the club says they are looking forward to getting the community together and hopefully obtaining sponsorships.
"I’m just looking at the community together. I haven’t been in these events for a few years, so I want to see how well the community is going into the event with Hatley," said another Arvin High School Student, Emily Cabrera.
Students like Cabrera and Plancarte also say they’re excited to participate in the event again, considering the last time they participated was in elementary school.
"I was in 5th grade, and I remember my whole family ran—my dad, my mom, my little brothers—my brothers were like 3 and 2. We all ran it," said Plancarte. "It was a ton of fun. We all got medals, shirts—it was a great experience."
The race is scheduled to take place at Hart Park on May 17th. Sign-ups will be available next week on RunSignUp.com.
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