The Norway Pacers Running Club concluded their spring season with a 5K race around the town of Norway on Thursday, May 12th. Forty-five runners in 4th-6th grade braved the heat as they worked to achieve their running goals! The Norway Pacers Running Club began in 2011 as a way for teachers Erika Hass and Sherrie Collins (former teacher in the district) to share their passion for running and general fitness with students. Each fall and spring, students can join the running club after school on Mondays and Thursdays for 10 weeks. During training, students work to become stronger runners by following a ‘couch-to-5K’ type program where students progress from running with long walk breaks to running 30 minutes non-stop. The goal is for students to be able to run a complete 5k (3.2 miles) by the end of the season. Many students who participate in the running club become successful track and cross country runners in middle school and high school.
This season started out in March with over 65 runners. Students are expected to stay after school for practices two times a week and complete their own training run at home each weekend. The weather provided some unique challenges this spring as our weekly practices had to be moved inside due to extreme wind and cold temperatures. During the last week, extreme heat made running extra challenging! It’s amazing to watch their confidence and physical ability grow throughout the season. These young runners pushed themselves through the heat and completed a full 5k with all runners finishing in under an hour. Our families stepped up to help provide extra water and golf cart support throughout the race. Thank you to all the Norway staff and runner’s families who helped make the Spring ‘22 season a success!
