With the temperature hovering in the low-20s, a brave lot of runners and walkers participated in Saturday morning’s 14th annual Jingle Bell Jog.
All told, 110 participated in the 5K run and 3K walk, sponsored by Thrive Allen County and the Iola High School leadership class.
The starting gun blasted off shortly after 8 a.m. About 18 minutes later, Tanner Wilson, 16, and a Garnett high school student, sprinted the last few yards to finish first, just ahead of his father, Lynn Wilson, a Garnett chiropractor.
The younger Wilson plays football and runs track. Lynn Wilson was a multi-sport star at Garnett High but didn’t take up running until after he graduated in 1985.
“I had to find something (physical) to do so I started running,” he said.
The Jingle Bell Jog also served as a time for current and former Allen Countians to meet up with friends in town for the Christmas holiday. Hugs, animated conversations and lots of picture-taking preceded and followed the race.
Few looked on the event as a competition. Siblings and family members covered jog and walk courses side-by-side and even the winner, Tanner Wilson, and his father ran the five kilometers together until the very end.
The 110 participants were nearly twice as many as last year’s 59, when more frigid weather and a stiff breeze discouraged all but the hearty. Nine states were represented. In addition to Kansas, entrants were from Missouri, California, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, New York and Wyoming. Entrants also came from area towns and others in Kansas, including Emporia and Kansas City.
The strategy in moving the Jingle Bell Jog to Christmas Eve Day — rather than a convenient Saturday, although this one was — was to attract local residents and their houseguests, said David Toland, Thrive executive director. Next year’s event also will be on Dec. 24, a Monday.
“It is cold but the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day,” said Sunny Shreeve, Thrive program director, as she checked in participants. “We’re thankful Mother Nature cooperated.”
“The Iola High School leadership class did an outstanding job helping organize the Jingle Bell Jog and we had great support from the city of Iola, Iola Area Chamber of Commerce and many local sponsors,” Toland added. “Everybody pulled together to bring our county another great healthy lifestyles event.”
