The Red Lake District High School will be hosting its 10th Road Run on May 28.
The Red Lake Road Run is a fundraising event with the money raised going to support the high school sports teams. Typically, the run is held in the fall, but this year it has been moved to the spring to accommodate the busy fall season.
“The favourite fall activity has become a favourite spring activity,” says high school vice principal Janet Ramsaywak.
The annual road run began in 2010 and continued every year up until 2019, when it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is its first year back on after four years, and the first year Ramsaywak will be overseeing the run.
The event hosts a 5K, 10K, and a half marathon, with a route going all throughout Red Lake. There is also a 500-metre little lamb loop for participants five and under.
Ramsaywak will be running the event, while her husband and her brother will be running the half marathon, and her son will be doing the little lamb loop.
“It really is a family event for us,” says Ramsaywak. “I’m noticing that is also the case for a lot of our residents."
Some participants do the run with their kids in strollers and their dogs too, rain or shine.
“There has been a lot of rainy days and a lot of wet people in years past, so we are hoping for some better weather this year,” says Ramsaywak.
The event opens with a warm up and stretch and then the little lamb loop begins at 9 a.m. The 5K, 10K and Half Marathon will follow after at 9:15 a.m.
This year, the run is being sponsored by Red Lake IGA and Evolution Mining. The sponsorship helps with the cost of the event, leaving all the money raised to go directly to the high school sports teams.
The money fundraised goes to whatever the teams need. Most often going to travelling costs for when the teams go to out of town finals and semi-finals.
“My big goal is the participation, I’d love to see 200 people there,” says Ramsaywak.
Registration for the run is currently open and will remain open right up until 9 a.m. before the run. There are already 100 early bird registrants signed up this year. The last run had 178 registrants participate in 2019.
“You forget how many different groups and teams are in Red Lake,” says Ramsaywak. “It’s been so long since we’ve all been out there together.”
The high school's mascot Renaldo the Ram will be at the run for pictures. Commemorative shirts will be distributed to early-bird registrants, and there will be snacks for everyone!