ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!!!!! ONCOR Mayor’s 5k Race

With raising health concerns surrounding teen obesity, the ONCOR Mayor’s 5k race partners have teamed up with DISD to allow students to build a love for physical activity by participating in an organized 5k (3.10 miles) race. Students are recruited by the Physical Education (PE) and Health teachers on each campus. This year over 11,000 K-12 grade students were in attendance.

The race is held in conjunction with the BMW Marathon weekend which is held annually in Dallas, Texas.

As a Marathon Finisher; runner enthusiast, volleyball coach and health teacher at Adamson High School, I have used this opportunity for the past 3 years to introduce my students and athletes to a fun way to build relationships with their peers, coaches and teachers well as becoming involved in a little cardiorespiratory endurance. Bonds built through running last forever and I know this to be true because although the kids protest each year when I present the race as a class project, they come back the following year and request to go to the race.

Buses arrive at the school at 8:30a.m. to transport students to the race. We load the buses and begin our journey social media journey (Snapchat; Instagram and Facebook) to document our day. Once we arrive at the race site we unload the buses and head to the designated tables to pick up our race t-shirts. Race swag is always a must. The district has organized pre-race entertainment (music and games) and pre-race stretches.

Then, we head to the race “Corrals” and the real fun begins. On Your Mark Get Set Go!!!!

#Mayors5K 😆

A post shared by El Fútbol 💖. (@serranoalexandro_) on Dec 9, 2017 at 2:55pm PST

As, we approach the finish line we are cheered in by parents, teachers, school cheerleaders, and then as we cross the finish line all finishers receive a finishers medal.

This is a very well organized event that really has all of the elements of an official race: race bibs, t-shirts, water stations, finisher medals and post-race snacks. There are just a few cons to this event: (1) the race is too crowded which does not allow for runners to really be able to run; (2) the distance was only 1.65 miles which is not a true 5k distance like previous years.

Overall, 165 campuses participated, 300 buses were used, 30,000 Ihop pancakes were eaten, 21 Principals handed out finisher medals, and 10,000 Dallas ISD staff and students ran/walked the 1.65 mile course in downtown Dallas. It was a fantastic experience for all involved.